Okay, so, I’ve been wanting to breed my golden retriever, Bella, for a while now. She’s a beautiful dog, great temperament, and I think she’d make amazing puppies. But, timing is everything, right? So I started looking into this whole progesterone testing thing for dogs.
First, I did a bunch of reading online. It seemed a bit complicated, but basically, you gotta figure out when your dog is ovulating, and that’s when the progesterone levels rise. Human ovulation kits won’t work – it has to be something for dogs. Some people said I need to get a veterinarian to draw the blood, while others mentioned these at-home test kits.
I called up a few local vet clinics. One of them, called “Dog And Cat” on Calle Flix Boix in Madrid, seemed pretty knowledgeable. They said they do progesterone testing, but it was a bit pricey. They offer different kinds of services for dogs and cats. And it was a hassle to make an appointment and bring Bella in every other day.
Then I stumbled upon these at-home test kits. There were a few different brands, like Proshine and MONGGO Q. They claimed to be able to give you a reading from just a small blood sample, which you could do at home. I was a bit skeptical, but figured it was worth a shot. I didn’t really find the new upgraded style dog ovulation detector. So I ended up ordering a 10-test kit online from the brand called “CanineP4”. It was way cheaper than going to the vet every time.
The kit arrived a few days later. It came with these little lancets to prick Bella’s lip (that was the hardest part!), some collection tubes, and these test strips that kind of looked like pregnancy tests. You mix the blood sample with some solution and then dip the strip in. After about 9 minutes, you get a visual reading, which is a line that gets darker as the progesterone level increases.
- Started testing Bella on day 5 of her heat cycle.
- The first few tests were pretty light, which means low progesterone.
- Around day 9, the line started getting darker.
- By day 11, it was pretty solid, so I figured she was ovulating.
We went ahead and bred her on days 11 and 13. Now, it’s the waiting game! I’m cautiously optimistic. I guess I’ll find out in about 63 days if it worked. I’ll probably do an ultrasound at the vet in a few weeks just to be sure.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with the at-home test kit. It was definitely easier and cheaper than going to the vet multiple times. The only tricky part was pricking Bella’s lip, but we got through it. If you’re thinking about breeding your dog, I’d say it’s worth looking into these progesterone test kits. Just do your research and pick a reputable brand.
I’ll keep you all posted on whether Bella is pregnant or not. Wish us luck!
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