Pet Health & Breeding FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Titre Testing FAQ
Our VacciCheck canine titre test measures antibody levels to Parvovirus, Canine Distemper and Infectious Hepatitis in dogs (the 3 core diseases that are vaccinated against). This helps ascertain vaccination status and prevent consequences associated with over/under vaccination.
The canine titre test will tell you whether your dog is protected against the three core diseases that are routinely vaccinated against:
- Distemper (CDV)
- Infectious Hepatitis (ICH)
- Canine Parvovirus (CPV)
Titre testing avoids unnecessary over-vaccination.
There are several acquired illnesses that have been linked to vaccination, with evidence to suggest vaccination triggering the onset. These illnesses include immune mediated haemolytic anaemia, immune mediated thrombocytopaenia and immune-mediated skin disorders. Thus, every vaccination carries a risk.
That said, it is important to vaccinate dogs in order to allow them to build immunity and fight diseases. However, due to a great variability in their ability to build their protection, and a great variability in the duration of immunity in each dog/cat, titre testing is the only available tool to help vets make a smart, evidence-based decision regarding revaccination. By titre testing pets, we can determine whether revaccination is needed or not and prevent possible vaccination side effects.
Titre tests can be performed at any stage of a dog’s life. However, the best time is shortly before they are due their ‘booster’. This helps establish whether a routine core booster is currently required.
We recommend testing at least four weeks after the puppy’s most recent vaccination.
- Order a titre test kit.
- Arrange a blood draw with your veterinary practice and take the kit to the appointment.
- Return the sample to Dragon Lab using the prepaid packaging provided.
- We analyse the sample and issue your report within 24 hours of its arrival at the laboratory.
VacciCheck provides a semi-quantitative result on a scale from 0 to 6, relative to the positive control.
A positive result shows that specific antibodies have been detected. For canine parvovirus, distemper and adenovirus, the presence of specific antibodies is strongly associated with protective immunity and may indicate that revaccination against that disease is not currently required.
A low or negative result does not automatically mean that the dog has no immune memory. However, it may indicate that revaccination should be considered following an individual risk assessment with your veterinary surgeon.
We recommend testing at least four weeks after the puppy’s most recent vaccination.
The performance of the VacciCheck test kit has been validated using clinical samples by comparing results to the gold standard titre assays.
A positive result confirms that specific antibodies are present at the time of testing, but it cannot predict exactly how long they will remain detectable.
Immunity to the canine core diseases can persist for many years following successful vaccination, although the duration varies between individual dogs. Future testing should therefore take account of the previous result, the dog’s age, health and vaccination history, and any third-party requirements.
The WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines state: “A high percentage (98%) of core puppy vaccines given between 14-16 weeks of age will provide immunity against parvovirus, distemper and adenovirus for many years, and probably for the life of the animal.”
Canine Ultrasound Scanning FAQ
Probably the most common dog breeding FAQ
More accurate puppy counts are possible when you bring your dog for a scan 28-32 days after last mating.
Progesterone Testing FAQ
A progesterone test analyses a blood sample for circulating progesterone, in dogs it is the hormone that indicates ovulation and helps maintain a pregnancy.
By testing progesterone levels, you are able to pinpoint the day of ovulation and plan matings that are more likely to result in success.
The progesterone test that we offer is run on the state of the art MiniVidas Blue; it provides quantitative results meaning it will provide an accurate numerical value of circulating progesterone (not a colour change/PreMate, that is inaccurate) and is therefore able to pin point ovulation and subsequently the best day to mate your dog.
It is recognised that in the dog up to 75% of failures to conceive can be attributed to incorrect timing of breeding. ¹
More precise timing of the breeding events is required when:
There is limited access to the stud
When artificial reproductive techniques are going to be used
When the quality of the semen is questionable.
The ability to accurately time breeding is of practical and economic importance to breeders. Optimal timing helps breeders:
Maximise pregnancy rates and litter size (Semen and stud fees are expensive.)
Plan travel for matings
Optimise of time for assisted breeding techniques (artificial insemination using fresh, chilled, or frozen
semen)
Optimise the timing of breeding when access to the stud is limited to one or two matings
Prevent unnecessary use of male
With the planning of matings when the same male is used on two bitches simultaneously
Optimise the time for breeding in bitches that have a history of non-receptivity or show silent heats
Estimate expected whelping dates more accurately based on a known ovulation date.
Successful fertilisation typically occurs between 3–4 days before the end of estrus. By simply observing a bitch during her heat cycle, there is no way of knowing when the end of estrus will be. To complicate matters, some bitches may bleed throughout their entire heat period, whereas other may not, some bitches may stand for a stud willingly, even long before there are eggs available for fertilisation, whilst others may only be receptive for a day or two. There are many other variations and idiosyncratic behaviors that can confuse the breeder, all contributing to a missed opportunity to breed the bitch successfully.
The ovulation test is most commonly used by breeders who are subject to large stud fees and require some sort of guarantee that their bitch had the correct progesterone levels; if their bitch does not become pregnant, but had the correct progesterone levels, the fault is usually the stud dog.
It is a common misconception among breeders that the heat cycle and the point at which a bitch will allow mating replicates itself in each repeating heat cycle of each individual bitch. The breeder then uses the data from a previous cycle and applies it to the next cycle. For instance, because a bitch was previously successfully bred on day 10 (starting from first signs of heat), the breeder will keep on mating that specific bitch on day 10. While this might work in some cases, it most certainly won’t work in all cases. Similarly, it is not always true that the stud can sniff out exactly when the bitch is at her peak (optimum time for fertilization).
Probably the second most common dog breeding FAQ We try and limit the number of tests required to accurate predict ovulation. It is better to take an initial sample and retest 3/4 days after than to completely miss ovulation. Typically two or 3 tests are required.
