Do you all do a pre-breeding exam with your vet before you breed your girls? What tests are a must to do before breeding? How far in advance of the expected cycle do you schedule the exam?

Louis Brennan

We do a prebreeding exam about 3 weeks prior to a bitch coming in season.

We always do a pelvic ultrasound, brucellosis, herpes titer and thyroid panel with MSU. I've heard others do vag cultures, but have never had cause.

May seem like a lot to do, but we've never missed, so this is out norm.

CERF current and brucellosis testing

Do you do a brucellous test on the bitch if you are doing an AI breeding?

Yes even if an AI, they all have contact with some dog(s) that have been to the shows.

"pelvic ultrasound, brucellosis, herpes titer and thyroid panel with MSU"

WOW how much does that run you!?!

A stud dog and/or bitch can be exposed to brucellosis if the other has it even if no actual penetration (natural breeding) occurs.

A stud dog sniffing/licking a brucella-infected girl's vulva can expose him, and even if an infected dog/bitch urinates on the premises, any other dog who sniffs/licks the urine can be exposed. That is why most stud dog owners require negative and recent (often within the previous month) brucella test for an outside girl to even be present on the property.

This infection can spread like wildfire. Pretty scary stuff!