Obstetric Doppler Ultrasound Findings in a German Shepherd Bitch at Pregnancy and Puerperium

Abstract

Doppler sonography was performed in a 1.5 year old healthy German shepherd bitch at late pregnancy and puerperium stage. Maternal and fetal arteries were examined by color Doppler and pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasonography. In the last two weeks of pregnancy, pulsatility and the resistance index were decreased in vessels. None fetal stress symptoms were observed during Doppler examinations. Parturition was in the 65 th day spontaneously and six healthy puppies were born. After parturition, pulsatility and the resistance index was also recorded from artery from the uteroplacental site. While decreasing of the uterine thickness, there was a mathematically increase in pulsatility and resistance during the first thirteen days. It seemed that the Doppler sonography was an important diagnostic method to evaluate prenatal growth and fetal stress in this case. Besides this, the Doppler ultrasonography can be used to study the characteristics of pregnant uterine vessels flow and their progressive changes during puerperium in the bitch.