Clinical retrospective study of vaginal hyperplasia in the bitch (2012–2022)

Abstract

A retrospective study was used to analyse canine vaginal hyperplasia ambulatory cases in Small animal clinic of the University Veterinary Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria between 2012 and 2022. The study was done to investigate the morbidity of vaginal hyperplasia in the bitch and its relationship with the breed, body weight, age, stage of the oestrous cycle, parity of dogs and grade of the condition. Grade II and grade III vaginal hyperplasia were observed in 3.11% of all female dog genital pathological cases. Twenty‐eight canine breeds were affected and the largest number were Central Asian Shepherds (30.47%). Most frequently the dogs were between 2 and 3 years old (29.68%), above 40 kg body weight (58.59%) and during follicular phase (proestrus and oestrus) of the oestrous cycle (82.02%). All the affected bitches were non‐spayed (100%) and nulliparous were 70.31% of them. Grade III vaginal hyperplasia was more frequently observed (53.13%) than grade II of the condition. High correlation was found between age of the bitches and grade of the vaginal hyperplasia (R2 = .551; SEE = 0.053), body weight and grade of the condition (R2 = .820; SEE = 0.054), and age of the animals and their body weight (R2 = .820; SEE = 1.27).