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Results suggest that administration of cabergoline is safe and effective for treatment for primary and secondary anestrus in dogs.

The objectives of the present study were to characterize in dogs circannual and ultradian prolactin (PRL) secretory patterns and also to compare gender differences in the ultradian period of study in the Southern hemisphere. Blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 2.5 h from seven male and seven female dogs and a single monthly sampling, over a 1-year time span, from six male dogs for the ultradian and circannual studies, respectively. Plasma PRL was measured by a homologous enzyme immunometric assay. The ultradian study evidenced PRL elevations suggesting pulsatile secretion in both genders. Significantly higher mean smoothed baseline (ng / ml [7.02 +/- 1.2 vs 1.23 +/- 1.0, p < 0.01]) and AUC (ng/ml * 2.5 h [25.2 +/- 3.8 vs 4.4 +/- 3.8, p < 0.01]) were found in females when compared with males. In the circannual study, plasma PRL concentrations did not statistically differ among the months of the year. When grouped together the 3 months with a longer daylight had significantly higher PRL concentrations than the 3 months with the shortest (2.31 +/- 0.37 vs 0.96 +/- 0.37, p < 0.01). The correlation between length of daylight and PRL concentrations was 0.24, p < 0.05. It is concluded that PRL does have a circannual rhythmicity and that there are ultradian gender-related differences in the period under study in these groups of dogs. This study also demonstrates plasma PRL elevations suggesting pulsatile secretion in male dogs.

Two consecutive interestrous intervals (n=46) were recorded in 23 bitches of different breeds. At varying times after day 100 from the onset of the second proestrus, cabergoline (5 microg/kg per os q 24 hours) was administered from early (n=11), mid- (n=10), and late (n=2) anestrus until 2 days after the beginning of the following proestrus. Interestrous intervals (IEI) were significantly shorter in the cabergoline-treated time periods when compared to the nontreated IEI (184+/-4.5 days versus 239+/-4.5 days; P<0.01). The mean number of days of cabergoline treatment until the onset of proestrus was 21.4+/-2.9 (least square means and standard error of the mean [LSM+/-SEM]). Mean cabergoline treatment durations beginning in early, mid-, and late anestrus were 27.4+/-3.7, 17.6+/-3.8, and 5+/-3 days (LSM+/-SEM), respectively. A significant correlation was found between the stage of anestrus in which the treatments began and the duration of the treatments required to induce estrus (0.51, P=0.01).

Results of this study indicate that protocols that combine the use of bromocriptine mesylate and prostaglandins for the termination of unwanted pregnancy in bitches are efficient and safe. The use of bromocriptine mesylate and cloprostenol had the best results and could be easily used on an outpatient basis.

Cabergoline or bromocriptine were administered orally to 60 bitches at doses of 5 microg/kg and 15 microg/kg daily, respectively, for two to 45 days for the treatment of pseudopregnancy or for oestrus induction. Seven of the dogs which received cabergoline for more than 14 days developed coat colour changes from the second week of administration to the next coat shedding. Of these, fawn-coloured bitches developed a yellowish coat colour while Argentine boar hounds became black spotted, mainly on their extremities. In previous untreated oestrous periods, these bitches had shown no coat colour changes. It is concluded that a colour shift in certain haircoats of particular breeds could be mediated through the inhibition of the secretion of melanocyte-stimulating hormone by the administration of the dopaminergic agonist cabergoline for more than two weeks. Transient coat colour changes should be considered a possible side effect when planning long-term treatment with dopaminergic agonists in dogs.

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