Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fetal death and delayed birth after progesterone shot in hunting dogs
By Öztürk, Buse et al.·Published in Topics in companion animal medicine·2026·kesir University·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fetal demise and delayed parturition following post-mating administration of depot progesterone for contraception in three hunting dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three hunting dogs were brought in after their pregnancies were prolonged and they showed no signs of going into labor following the administration of a hormone injection (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate) meant to prevent pregnancy. The dogs were given the injection within a week after mating, but instead of delivering their puppies, they had non-viable fetuses confirmed by ultrasound. To address the situation, the veterinarians performed surgery to remove the dogs' reproductive organs. This case highlights the need for careful use of hormone treatments in dogs to avoid complications during pregnancy.
People also search for: hunting dog pregnancy problems · dog hormone injection side effects · why is my dog not going into labor
Abstract
Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is used in dogs to suppress estrus or prevent pregnancy. This report describes three cases in which post-mating administration of MPA resulted in failure of parturition and fetal death in hunting dogs. In all cases, MPA was administered within 1-7 days post-mating at a fixed dose of 150 mg. The dogs presented with signs of prolonged pregnancy and absence of labor. Ultrasonographic examinations confirmed the presence of non-viable fetuses, and ovariohysterectomy was performed in each case. In these dogs, serum progesterone concentrations ranged between 2.20 and 9.03 ng/mL at the time of parturition and remained within this range for up to two weeks postpartum. These hormonal alterations were likely due to exogenous MPA, which interfered with luteolysis, delaying the onset of labor. These findings underscore the importance of restricting depot progesterone use to appropriate reproductive stages to prevent iatrogenic reproductive failure and to ensure animal welfare.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41436015/