MEDICAL METHODS TO TERMINATE PREGNANCY IN THE DOG

This article presents an overview of the drug treatments available to terminate pregnancy in the dog. Older, more established treatments, su ch as the administration of estrogens and prostaglandins, are discusse d. The emphasis, however, is on relatively new drugs, such as mifepris tone, epostane, thergoline derivatives, and luteinizing hormone releas ing hormone antagonists. Mifepristone and epostane terminate pregnancy by influencing the action and synthesis, respectively, of progesteron e. The thergoline derivatives bromocriptine and cabergoline and the lu teinizing hormone releasing hormone antagonists terminate pregnancy by withdrawing luteotrophic support of the corpus luteum. Although more research is needed, mifepristone and epostane seem especially promisin g. In the future, mifepristone and epostane may be alternatives to est rogens, although they are not generally available.