INDUCTION OF ESTRUS IN BITCHES WITH NORMAL AND PERSISTENT ANESTRUS USING HUMAN MENOPAUSAL GONADOTROPIN (HMG)

Human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) was administered intramuscularly t o 10 bitches during apparently normal anestrus (n = 7) or persistent a nestrus (n = 3). Each dog received a 75-IU dose of hMG (75 IU LH and 7 5 IU FSH; 1 to 7 units/kg) daily for nine days. Nine bitches responded with obvious signs of proestrus within 3 to 9 days. Of these, 3 bitch es exhibited a weak proestrus while 2 exhibited a normal estrus and ov ulation but failed to become pregnant. The remaining 4 bitches became pregnant at the induced cycle and produced normal litters at 72 to 85 d after the start of treatment, including 1 bitch that had been treate d at 24 mo after the last estrus. In 2 cases, treatment resulted in ov ulation following 25 or 34 mo of chronic pubertal anestrus, 1 of which became pregnant. The results suggest that hMG can be a useful gonadot ropin preparation for inducing estrus in dogs. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Sc ience Inc.