anniebrac
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Infrequent SeasonsHi all
I'm planning on having a litter from my beautiful youngest Bracco on her next season. All health tests have been done - hips 6/6, elbows 0 and current clear eye certificate - and I've chosen a wonderful stud dog who has been on standby now for 2 months!!! 
My problem is that whenever I think she is coming into season, it seems to stop. Her first season was a silent season and then her next season was full-on and she bled throughout. By my reckoning she should have come into season end January begining of February and she did have a little bit of blood on one day so took her to the vet, who confirmed she was swollen and there was blood there. She got the anti-herpes vac and was put on a course of antibiotics in case of strep infection. Next day there was nothing.
I've been in touch with the vet to see if there may be something wrong with her. He says that she will probably come into season in the spring but we could do some blood tests and get them analysed to test her hormone levels. I'm planning just to wait and see what happens in the spring and, if she has no season, then I will get the tests done.
She really is a beautiful example of the breed and I'm planning on keeping a puppy myself - hence the reason for taking a litter - but I'm at a loss as to what may be happening.
She does live with 3 other dogs who are speyed and neutered and so she doesnt have any competition for breeding rights!!!! She's quite young in herself and, despite being over 2.5 years still acts like a puppy!!! Bless her!!!
Does anybody have any ideas as to what may be going on? Any advice would be gratefully received.
THanks a bundle
Annie
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DesO'Neile
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The nearer in generations that my bitches were to the original imported bitch the more likely they were to be affected by the weather. I explained it away as their system saying " You couldn't raise pups in this weather". I found that a bitch due to break would be readily put off by a sudden cold snap. The result was that quite a few recent litters were bred in the Autumn. This isn't the problem it may at first seem as the rules for puppy stakes have changed for Pointer & setters and a pup is now a pup until it its second birthday.
I am having an awful go with my currnt litter and fervently wish that Roxy had had the Hyrpes jag as I am down to two pups and one is fading as we speak. Having said that some bitches are sensitive creatures and while done with the best of intentions any medication around season time is likely to affect the bitch's system and posibly stop her coming in.
If you keep her fit and reasonably lean through exercise she will probably break in time.
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anniebrac
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Hi Des
Thanks for your advice. Yes, now that I think about it, it does seem to be related to the weather. I'm in Scotland and it has been absolutely freezing but we have had a couple of mild spells - and that is the time that the other dogs start their sniffing around her as if she smells nice. Then we will have a cold snap again and all the swelling goes down and the dogs lose interest. They are neutered but the young cocker was very interested last time she was in season. She was such a flirt!!! A couple of times it's happened, when the sniffing and flirting starts and then the next day nothing!!!! I did contact the vet and he said she could have blood tests but she is a very sensitive little soul - unlike my other Bracco - and I just wanted to wait and see what happened before going down that road. She doesnt have anything to grow up for really. She just enjoys her life!! Wish I was a dog in my house!!! Its becoming really embarrassing though because every time I think something is happening I get the stud dog owner on standby - and then I have to say its a false alarm. I'm sure she's starting to think I'm a bit daft!!!
I'm sorry to hear about your current litter. I discussed the herpes vac with my vet in advance of the intended litter and decided to go down that route. I was also advised by the stud dog owner to have her on a course of antibiotics - as well as the stud dog - just to ensure no infection. As it stands at the moment, I've paid £40 for the first herpes vac and a course of antibiotics - and then she decided not to take things any further!!!!
I'm not in a rush. I just wanted to know if this was quite common but what you are saying seems to fit.
I hope that your litter pulls through. It must be heartbreaking to watch the puppies fade. That's really the reason I opted for the herpes vac, although the vet said that because she was the only entire dog in the kennel it probably wouldnt be necessary.
Best wishes
Annie
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weima
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Annie I don't wish to burst your bubble but my bitch had the herpes vacc & antiobiotcis & had 1 live pup & 4 dead pups, some deformed  It was an horrendous birth one I wish never to have repeated.
I would never have it again but I was acting on the advice of my vet who I trust 110%.
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anniebrac
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How awful!! I did ask on another forum about the herpes vac before going ahead with it and nobody had any bad experiences. Because she has already had the injection I wouldnt be giving it to her again. What a terrible thing to have happened. I'm never keen on giving my dogs lots of chemicals but I really did think this was safe.
This is my first ever litter and I just wanted to make sure that I did everything right. Do you normally have a course of antibiotics before you do a mating to make sure there's no infection, or don't you bother with that? Its so confusing! The last thing I want is to have anything go wrong at all. This is such a big step for me anyway without additional worries.
Thanks for your help
Annie
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weima
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I've never given any drugs to any bitches who are about to be mated or are in whelp. The reason I gave the herpes this time was the bitch had miscarried at 6 weeks in whelp but to be honest I'd rather that than what we went through.
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Bareve
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We have never given the herpes jab nor antibiotics "just in case" because unless there is a problem it's more of a chance for something else to go wrong.
Herpes injections on a bitch who has already aborted a litter or had fading puppies is worth a go but to administer it anyway wouldn't be a choice of mine.
Likewise antibiotics..... if the stud dog owner is concerned then have a swab done on your bitch to check to see if the bugs present are an acceptable level (as there will be some bugs present). However I would also be asking for the dog to be swabbed too to make sure he isn't harbouring anything. Most fertility vets are very much against the routine use of antibioitics in a "just in case" scenario.
JMO mind
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anniebrac
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Hi again
Thanks for your replies. Yes, the stud dog is being swabbed too. As this is my first ever litter I was taking all the advice I could get. However, I wont be going down the route of the herpes vac now and will have her swabbed instead of a mandatory course of antibiotics. Generally speaking I don't like the over-use of antibiotics and try to avoid them if I can but I did think that this was the norm prior to breeding. I'll get her swabbed instead and if the levels are OK then that's fine.
Its freezing here today in Scotland so no doubt any thoughts she had of coming into season have disappeared!! LOL
She is funny girl!!!
Thanks again
Annie
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Claire
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Hi
I've just gone through something similar with my bitch and I'm not too far from you  She was due in season at the end of January and around mid January she started to show signs of coming in and I was panicking I was going to miss the end of the shooting season. Similarly to your bitch she would start to swell then stop, have a little discharge then stop, go all hormonal then stop, it was driving me nuts  She has now finally come into season last night and her timing couldn't have been worse really as I have Crufts on Saturday and she has a run in a GPT next Saturday which she is now going to have to miss 
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anniebrac
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Poor you!!! I didnt enter my girl for the pointing test because I thought she was coming into season and now she hasn't come in!!! I've entered my Ruby though so at least I'll get to run her.
It must be due to the weather I think. Don't you agree?
Annie
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