Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Common vaginal bacteria in healthy and infertile female dogs
By Jagódka, D et al.·Published in Polish journal of veterinary sciences·2023·AURA Veterinary Clinic·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Vaginal aerobic bacteria of healthy bitches and those with fertility problems.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at 275 female dogs (bitches) to see if bacteria in their reproductive tracts were linked to fertility issues. The researchers found that both healthy dogs and those with fertility problems had similar types of bacteria, such as Streptococcus and E. coli. However, dogs with fertility issues had a higher number of different bacterial strains. This suggests that testing for bacteria in healthy dogs may not be helpful for diagnosing reproductive problems, and that such tests should be done alongside other examinations.
People also search for: dog fertility problems · bacterial infections in female dogs · why is my dog having trouble getting pregnant
Abstract
The most common problems in veterinary practice in bitches are bacterial infections of the reproductive tract associated with fertility problems. Research to determine the correlation between the health status of female dogs and bacterial flora of the genital tract has been ongoing for years, but the results obtained by different authors are often contradictory, and do not always concern breeding bitches. Our study identified the most common aerobic bacteria in the genital tract of numerous breeding bitches population. A total of 275 breeding dogs in anestrous phase of the estrous cycle were included in this study. 198 were qualified to the first group with no genital tract infections and no reproductive disorders. 68 bitches were qualified to the second group with complications such as: infertility, abortion, foetus resorptions and newborn mortality. The type of bacterial isolates was almost the same in the healthy bitches and the group with fertility problems. The most common bacteria obtained from the vaginal tract of the tested dogs were Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Mycoplasma canis and Escherichia coli. There were no significant differences in bacterial prevalence in the group with reproductive problems versus healthy dogs; however, we found a statistically significant difference between both groups when the numbers of bacterial strains were compared. The number of one-strain bitches was statistically higher in the problematic group than in the non-problematic one. Bacterial culturing of vaginal swab specimens from breeding bitches without clinical signs of genital disease is of little value. Furthermore, it should always be preceded by an examination (clinical, cytological or vaginoscopy etc.). The request or requirement to perform vaginal cultures that is made by some breeders, while common, is not diagnostic for any pathologic condition and the results of these cultures should never be used to determine if antibiotic therapy is indicated.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38088743/