We have the latest in-house laboratory equipment and can run a multitude of different tests on blood and urine. Progesterone test for dogs is one of these – we see many owners and breeders (and even our own team) perform it and are experienced in interpreting the results to advise on the best time to breed your bitch. Progesterone tests are simple and inexpensive. They are performed by very experienced staff, some of whom have many years experience in breeding dogs themselves! At the moment, we only offer this service at our Stocksfield surgery, but your Stocksfield team have very experienced dog breeders who have used this test many times for their own pets.

What is a progesterone test for dogs and how does it help?

If you are planning on breeding from your bitch, then measuring progesterone levels is an easy and reliable way of gauging the optimum time to mate. It will also give you a more accurate assessment of when your dog is likely to whelp than mating date because we have a good idea of when ovulation has occurred. Once you have mated your bitch, you may want to take advantage of our pregnancy ultrasound scanning service to confirm that the mating is successful and other useful information.

When is the ideal time to mate?

The ideal time to mate is 48hrs after ovulation after progesterone levels rise to around 20 mmol/L which we can accurately measure to the same standard as an external veterinary laboratory. The test involves taking a small blood sample and we recommend starting this on around day 7 after the start of the season (vulval swelling and bleeding). We can obtain the results within 30 minutes and they will indicate what steps are required over the next 2-4 days depending on the result (when to retest or when to mate).

A staff pet who used a progesterone test

How to book an appointment?

Please be aware that we only offer the progesterone test for dogs at our Stocksfield surgery. Please contact Christine Fairbairn, RVN, for more information by calling 01661 843259. Christine will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have and also give you more information on what is involved, and pricing.