Investigators of copulatory behaviour in lower mammals usually describe the female's sexual condition as `receptive' or 'nonreceptive' . Differing degrees of receptivity have of course been recognized and studied, but they have been treated as variations in the female's overall level of sexual responsiveness which affect her reactions to all males. Consistent differences in a particular female'...

To estimate the prevalence of toxoplasma antibodies in schoolchildren and their association with clinical and environmental data, antibody titres were measured in 1276 children aged 4 to 18 years attending primary and secondary schools. Environmental and clinical data were obtained by questionnaire. Altogether 12.8% (163/1276) of children had antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii with no difference b...

Different molecular forms of circulating prolactin (PRL) are known to occur in several species. As no such information was available in dogs, we assessed the molecular profile of circulating PRL in bitches. Pooled sera from covertly (CTRL) and overtly pseudopregnant (PSPT) diestrous bitches with high or low (> 10 or < 10 ng x mL(-1), respectively) serum PRL (measured by ELISA) were analyzed by ...

The aim of this paper was the assessment of the useful alternative method of surgical treatment of urinary incontinence in the spayed bitch. The operation was performed on a bitch, which before had been inefficiently treated by available drugs. During a contrast X-ray examination (ascendent urethrography), executed before the operation, intrapelvic position of urinary bladder neck, as well as s...

Dystocia means difficult birth or inability to expel foetuses through the birth canal. The aetiology of dystocia may be maternal or foetal. Primary uterine inertia is the most common reason for dystocia in the bitch approaching 75% of the cases. The objective of this thesis was to investigate the incidence of dystocia and to find causes of primary uterine inertia. Also the treatment regimes for...

Despite the long history of purebred dogs and the large number of existing breeds, few studies of canine litter size based upon a large number of breeds exist. Previous studies are either old or include only one or a few selected breeds. The aim of this large-scale retrospective study was to estimate the mean litter size in a large population of purebred dogs and to describe some factors that m...

Lupus erythematosus complex is an immune-mediated dermatological disease, mainly represented by the generalized and discoid forms. The last form described milder, as it limited to appearance of lesions, usually on face in mucocutaneous regions. Its pathophysiology considered multifactorial, however, continuous exposure ultraviolet radiation seems be very relevant trigger and/or worsen clinical ...

Although dog was the first species to be used for Artificial Insemination (AI) and become pregnant by Spallanzani in 1776, very little work has been done on preservation of dog semen to exploit the full genetic potential of pedigree males. Frozen semen is now inseminated routinely in cattle, sheep and goats and much research has been carried out with regard to the optimum conditions for its use...