Investigation of Estrus Induction Failures Following Ovuplant® Administration in Dogs

Introduction

The deslorelin implant, Ovuplant® (Ayerst Laboratories), is licensed for use in horses and has been shown to reliably induce estrus in the majority of anestrous bitches. Anovulation and abortion due to premature luteolysis have been reported during the induced estrus and subsequent luteal period, respectively. The objective of this study was to evaluate the endocrine response in a diverse population of privately owned bitches that did not become pregnant after receiving an Ovuplant® for estrus induction. We hypothesized that ovulation failure, diagnosed by serum progesterone concentrations (P4) that failed to rise above 5 ng/mL was the most common cause of reproductive failure. [...]