Vaginal microflora of health bitches during the different stages of the reproductive cycle and bitches with vaginitis

Abstract

Many bacteria normally inhabit the vestibule and vagina of a healthy bitch and the bacterial flora is normally mixed (1). Bacterial infections have been implicated as a cause of infertility in the bitch. These infections are thought to be subclinical in the infertile bitch, only occasionally resulting in obvious vaginitis, metritis, pyometra, or systemic infection (2). The aim of this study was to investigate the vaginal microflora inhealthyt bitches during the different stages of reproductive cycle and from bitches with vaginitis. The vaginal samples were taken from 82 healthy bitches. Bitches were sampled at the different stages of an estrous cycle. Stages of the estrous cycle were determined based on history, physical examination, vaginal cytology, vaginoscopy and serum progesterone levels. One hundred and twelve samples were collected from bitches with clinically and vaginoscopically suspected vaginitis. The obtained samples were cultured aerobically on the elective and indicator nutrition media. [...].