# Using Antibiotics after bitch is bred to prevent infection in female...?



## jax (May 18, 2010)

Has anyone used antibiotics after their female has been bred up to implantation of embryos to help prevent infection to the female and her babies? Especially if the female has shown a tendency to get an open infection the last two heat cycles she was bred. If so, what did you use and when did you use it during her heat cycle? Thanks.


----------



## Jerry and Freya (Sep 13, 2008)

jax said:


> Has anyone used antibiotics after their female has been bred up to implantation of embryos to help prevent infection to the female and her babies? Especially if the female has shown a tendency to get an open infection the last two heat cycles she was bred. If so, what did you use and when did you use it during her heat cycle? Thanks.


Should be used ten days to two weeks before being breed.


----------



## jax (May 18, 2010)

Have you done this before with good success?


----------



## suepuff (Aug 25, 2008)

Antibiotics should be done pre breeding,when she comes in heat.. If you haven't done a guarded culture on her before, you need to, now, before she comes in heat. 

Especially since she's had issues before, find out what the bug is and use the correct antibiotic. Does it work? Yes. Ask any repro vet. But just putting them on any antibiotic is not advisable.

Sue


----------



## jax (May 18, 2010)

Do I need to have the guarded culture done on her right before her cycle or can it be done at any time? My female just recently lost her entire litter a week early and she is on Baytril for 2 weeks. I can't do a necropsy on the puppies because my wife accidently disposed of the ones I had in the fridge to save for testing. All 7 pups were still born.


----------



## suepuff (Aug 25, 2008)

jax said:


> Do I need to have the guarded culture done on her right before her cycle or can it be done at any time? My female just recently lost her entire litter a week early and she is on Baytril for 2 weeks. I can't do a necropsy on the puppies because my wife accidently disposed of the ones I had in the fridge to save for testing. All 7 pups were still born.


Do it within a month or six weeks of her next expected cycle. This way if there IS something there, you can make sure you can hit it hard. I just did one last month on a bitch I am going to be doing a frozen TCI on this fall. I think it cost me about $100 but I didn't really pay attention to the cost now that I think about it. I knew it needed to be done, so just did it. But that is the ballpark cost and it takes up to 10 days to get results. 

Sue


----------



## runnindawgz (Oct 3, 2007)

Had a female re-absorb a litter - blood testing and general outward health showed no reasons as to why .... We repeated the breeding and did a 1.5 week course of antibiotics PRIOR to breeding - resulting in successful litter.


----------



## jax (May 18, 2010)

What type of antibiotics did you use prior to the breeding the 2nd time?


----------



## suepuff (Aug 25, 2008)

jax said:


> What type of antibiotics did you use prior to the breeding the 2nd time?


Jax, re above. It doesn't really matter. If you use a drug that is not effective against the organism you have, you've lost the battle. There are too many off the cuff veterinary recommendations out there. Treat the bug, whatever it is, with the matching drug. I don't mean to be troublesome but one of the reasons we have antibiotic resistance is because of inappropriate use. 

Without a guarded culture, you won't have an idea what you are dealing with. If the culture is negative, your vet will probably recommend a long course of a broad spectrum antibiotic. If I had the bitch in your case I would do the guarded culture and make a decision based on that. To me, general bloodworm in these cases are not sufficient. 

Maybe some of our vets can pipe up here?


----------



## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

I totally agree with suepuff. The cervix should be open to culture so as soon as she goes into heat do a c & s. There are mixes of bacteria, but you are looking for the predominant organism otherwise it comes back mixed culture which is normal. There are only 3 safe drugs to be used during pregnancy. If Dr Hutch says Baytril can be used before implantation, I'm buying it.


----------



## jax (May 18, 2010)

I am going to be setting up a phone consult with Dr. Hutch to see what he recommends. About how long will it take to find out about the culture results if I need to wait until her heat cycle starts?


----------



## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

3-4 days. Grow,Identify, grow, do sensitivity. They can always do initial antibiotic and tweak it.


----------



## jax (May 18, 2010)

Thanks for the explanation Nancy on growing the cultures and time length.


----------



## Shelley (Nov 16, 2014)

It usually takes longer than 3-4 days to do a culture and sensitivity, more like 10 days.


----------



## suepuff (Aug 25, 2008)

Shelley said:


> It usually takes longer than 3-4 days to do a culture and sensitivity, more like 10 days.


Usually 10 days. That was the case on my last one. We did it pre-heat. If you're calling Hutch, he'll give you details.


----------



## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

suepuff said:


> Usually 10 days. That was the case on my last one. We did it pre-heat. If you're calling Hutch, he'll give you details.


I worked in a human Lab for over 35 years. It shouldn't take that long and I wouldn't waste my money if that is their turn around time. I would physically take it to a human Lab, a reference Lab, or overnight it. Also, if it sits around on a counter after you send it that's not good either. If I remember correctly, a repro vet, now retired, used to overnight them to Cornell because his cultures were coming back negative and that was the problem. Then you might as well do a gram stain. Hutch has his own Lab and you can overnight it to him. I'm not so sure pre-heat is going to do you much good because you want to know what is inside the cervix and not just in the vagina.

Oh, if you suspect Mycoplasma, it will be dead by the time it gets somewhere-it has to be overnighted. It is very fastidious and slow growing and even that report came back in less than 5 days because it was loaded.


----------



## suepuff (Aug 25, 2008)

Hmmmm....thanks Nancy. We are sending to Cornell. Board certified repro vet doing my work. Will have to ask her protocol.


----------



## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

Now if there is NOS (nothing of significance) cultures may still be held for 10 days and then the report is sent out, but that doesn't mean if something of significance grows in 24 hours, there isn't a prelim report sent out and it's held for the c & s. I think there is automation now where the time is cut for the c&s, and they don't have to grow it in broth to plate. In other words, the longer you don't hear, the more it sounds like it will be normal flora.


----------

