Clinical use of fetal measurements to determine the whelping day in German shepherd breed bitches

Comparison of two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasonography for gestational ageing in the early to mid‐pregnant bitch

“…Parturition is a critical event, and accurate prediction of the delivery date may allow better planning and management of whelping to decrease neonatal losses (Beccaglia et al., 2016 ). In the last decades, several studies had been published on gestational age determination and parturition date prediction in dogs, based on determination of ovulation by serum progesterone, on the first appearance of embryonic/foetal structures by ultrasonography or by abdominal radiograph, and on ultrasonographic measurements of extra‐foetal or foetal structures (Beccaglia et al., 2016 ; Cecchetto et al., 2017 ; Kutzler et al., 2003 ; Kutzler, Yeager, et al., 2003 ; Lopate, 2008 , 2018 ; Luvoni & Grioni, 2000 ; Nyland & Mattoon, 2002 ; Sananmuang et al., 2021 ; Siena & Milani, 2021 ; de Albuquerque Vieira et al., 2020 ; Yeager et al., 1992 ). Among the various parameters, ICC diameter was found to be a relatively accurate parameter in early to mid‐pregnant bitches (Beccaglia & Luvoni, 2012 ) and is extensively used in daily clinical practice.…”

“…Litter size does not seem to have an influence on accuracy of gestational ageing and parturition date prediction (Kutzler, Yeager, et al., 2003 ). On the other hand, body size and/or breed‐specific formulas or corrections to maternal body weight should be used to achieve the most accurate prediction of gestational age or parturition day (Cecchetto et al., 2017 ; Lopate, 2008 , 2018 ; Luvoni & Grioni, 2000 ; Sananmuang et al., 2021 ; Siena & Milani, 2021 ; Socha & Janowski, 2018 ; Son et al., 2001 ; de Albuquerque Vieira et al., 2020 ; Yeager et al., 1992 ).…”

Estimated date of delivery in Chihuahua breed bitches, based on embryo-fetal biometry, assessed by ultrasonography

“…Therefore, the study was designed to estimate the number of days until delivery. Several studies have found highly-significant correlations between the fetal measurements and the number of days until delivery in specific breeds of dogs of varying sizes, however, none of these studies have solely studied the Chihuahua breed ( Melo et al., 2006 ; Silva et al., 2007 ; Jabin et al., 2007 ; Teixeira et al., 2009 ; Camargo et al., 2011 ; Groppetti et al., 2015 ; Cecchetto et al., 2017 ; Socha and Janowski, 2017 ).…”

“…In several studies, BPD was identified as the measurement with a stronger correlation with the gestational period, from the second half of pregnancy in dogs of different breeds. It was considered a reliable measurement and easy to obtain ( Luvoni and Grioni, 2000 ; Melo et al., 2006 ; Jabin et al., 2007 ; Silva et al., 2007 ; Cecchetto et al., 2017 ).…”

“…Several authors have studied the relationship between fetal biometrics and the development of the pregnancy in different breeds of different sizes, such as the Boxer ( Silva et al., 2007 ), Yorkshire Terrier ( Jabin et al., 2007 ), American Cocker Spaniel and Chow-Chow ( Melo et al., 2006 ), Rottweiler ( Teixeira et al., 2009 ), German Shepherd ( Groppetti et al., 2015 ; Cecchetto et al., 2017 ; Socha and Janowski, 2017 ), observing differences between the biometric formulas used for each size or breed of the studied dogs.…”