If we have just adopted a dog, or have rescued one from the street, it is normal for us to wonder if she is sterile due to having undergone surgery or by nature. We say that a bitch is sterile when she cannot have offspring or has difficulties to do so, but also when she has undergone an intervention known as sterilization, in which Usually, her ovaries and uterus are removed. Logically, the absence of these organs will prevent the bitch from having puppies. To identify these situations and how to tell if a dog is sterile, we will explain what to look out for in this article on our site.
The bitch's reproduction
Dogs have a reproductive cycle in which we can identify four phases. Only one of them will be fertile and it is therefore during this period that she will be able to get pregnant. In the remaining three phases, even if she is with an entire male (not castrated), pregnancy will not occur, not because of sterility, but because she is not at the fertile moment of the cycle. As we have said, if the bitch has been subjected to sterilization and, therefore, lacks reproductive organs, she will not go into heat at any time (and if she does, we would be facing a case of ovarian remnant) and that bitch yes it would be sterile. Bearing this in mind, we can distinguish between two forms of sterility, which would be the following:
- Which we can consider " induced", as it is caused by human interventions such as ovarihysterectomy.
- The sterility that we can understand as " natural", that is, the one that is produced by physical factors such as a malformation (stenosis or neoplasias ), inadequate levels of hormones or even diseases that, although they may allow the bitch gets pregnant, cause abortions. In addition, it must be taken into account that the state of he alth, correct nutrition or stress factors also have an influence on fertility.
- You have to know that, sometimes, the bitch does not get pregnant but because of the sterility of the male, a circumstance that should also be assessed.
Bearing these situations in mind, we will see, next, how to know if a bitch is sterile.
How to know if a dog is surgically sterile?
If, for example, we have just picked up a female dog and we are interested in finding out how to know if a female dog is sterile or not, we can look at the following aspects to determine it:
- Presence of scar on the abdomen, as this is where the incision is usually made to remove the uterus and ovaries. It can be difficult to discover due to its small size, because its color lightens over time and, in addition, the area is usually covered with hair.
- Lack of heat, being normal that, from 6-8 months of age, bitches come into heat twice times a year, that is, about once every 6 months. This period is easily identified, since bleeding occurs just before. It must be taken into account that older bitches will stop being in heat naturally and that those under two years of age (or more in the case of large bitches) may not ovulate due to immaturity.
- Confirmation of whether or not a bitch maintains her reproductive organs can be given by the veterinarian in a simple, non-painful and minimally invasive way, with the performance of an ultrasound.
Neutering is a non-reversible surgery, so that bitch will not be able to conceive again, but neither will she suffer the secondary effects of continuous hormone therapy, which may be responsible for tumors of the breast or pyometra (infection of the uterus).
How to know that a dog is sterile by nature?
If we know that our bitch is not spayed, is in heat and has been with males that have proven to be fertile, we must take into account several causes that will allow us to know if a bitch is sterile. They are as follows:
- Maybe there is no sterility and we simply do not guess the exact moment of fertility of the bitch. Improper mating management is the most common cause of infertility.
- In some cases there is some pathology that results in sterility, so that pregnancy is prevented. Diseases such as endometritis or cystic endometrial hyperplasia would be found in this section.
- Other times there is no actual sterility because there can be fertilization but the pregnancies do not go ahead and an abortion occurs.
Before continuing, we cannot fail to point out the high number of animals that are abandoned annually. It is not ethical that we breed without considering the uncertain future of the puppies and their descendants, since, if we breed, the caretakers of our pups can do the same, with which the number of animals increases exponentially and it is obvious that we do not we will be able to guarantee a responsible home for everyone, not to mention the dogs already born that await an opportunity in shelters and kennels. That said, in the next section we will see how you can confirm if a bitch is sterile.
Tests needed to know if a bitch is sterile
To answer the question about how to know if a dog is sterile or not, it is inevitable to go to the vet With a simplecytology , which consists of taking a sample from the vagina and observing it under a microscope, this professional can determine the type of cells present, which will tell us at what stage of the cycle is found. This gives us information on whether an anomaly is occurring.
A good part of the cases of infertility in female dogs have their origin in irregularities in the reproductive cycle, as we will see in the next section. If abnormalities are detected, it is necessary to see if there is a medically treatable cause, such as a disease. Resolving it would be possible to reverse the state of the bitch, since, contrary to what happened with sterilization, this type of sterility is not permanent. Other tests of choice are ultrasound or hormone analysis For diagnosis, the veterinarian will review the dog's history, taking into account family history, diseases or medications.
Irregularities of a bitch's heat
Given its importance in how to know if a bitch is sterile, we highlight in this section the characteristics of irregular heats that we can find, taking into account that we must rule out diseases such as pyometra, brucellosis or the canine herpesvirus, which can also be responsible for sterility and/or abortions. The abnormalities to highlight in heat cycles are as follows:
- Silent jealousy: is the one that goes unnoticed because its symptoms are barely noticeable. This makes it possible to think that the dog is sterile. With a cytology and a hormone analysis, the exact moment of heat can be determined. It would be a false sterility
- Split heat: the bitch appears to be in heat but is not actually receptive. Subsequently, the picture is repeated and, in this second case, the male can be accepted. It usually resolves in the next cycle without requiring any intervention.
- Persistent heat or hyperestrogenism: heat lasts several weeks, during which the bleeding continues. It also usually resolves in the following cycles. There may be a rise in estrogen level caused by tumors or cysts. This case would be confirmed with a cytology and an ultrasound. Surgery may be required.
- Lack of heat, which corresponds to a lack of ovulation. Sometimes it can be caused by diseases such as hypothyroidism, ovarian hypoplasia or tumors. Cytology is required and ultrasound can also be performed.
- Irregular oestrus: occurs when the interval between oestrus is too short (about 4 months) or too long (more than a year). The causes that justify these irregularities are varied and may include the presence of cysts or diseases such as hypothyroidism. In cases where the heat is repeated frequently, there is no time for the uterus to recover and, therefore, nesting of the embryos does not occur. It is common for problems of this type to be resolved in the following heats, but in some cases medication can be used. If heat does not occur due to premature ovarian failure, it should be noted that there would be no treatment for this case.
