Description
Anatomy: Clinically relevant structures of the bitches vagina are presented. The special significance of the urethral orifice and the transition from the vaginal vault to the pseudo-cervix is referred to as well as the position of the uterine portio with the opening of the cervical canal into the vagina.
Examination techniques: Vaginal cytology is demonstrated to be a good technique for semiquantitative estrogen detection in the bitch. A wide range of infectious agents are scanned by infertility panels of veterinary laboratories. The results provide helpful information for drawing up a treatment plan for a diseased bitch. They have almost no relevance as a prophylactic examination in healthy breeding bitches. The digital vaginal examination performed to rule out a vaginal septum is discussed as well as the peripartal examination with the use of a tubular speculum to assess the degree of opening of the cervix. The new, wireless Dr. Fritz vaginoscope “Blendivet” allows examination of the complete vagina in estrus in all bitches with a body weight of more than 3 kg BDW.
Treatment of infectious agents in the bitch’s vagina: The effectiveness of systemic antibiotic and antiphlogistic treatment is shown to be dependent on infectious agents and anatomic situation. Vaginal irrigation using the new, wireless Dr. Fritz vaginoscope “Blendivet” is shown to be an additional treatment option.
Examples of genital surgery include vulvoplasty and the removal of a foreign body.
Trnascervical catheterisation: The use of the new, wireless Dr. Fritz vaginoscope “Blendivet” for transcervical catheterisation in all estrous bitches of more than 3 kg BDW is demonstrated and discussed.
Learning Objectives
- Vaginoscopy with tubular speculum
- Equipment and handling of the video vaginoscope
- Expected findings in the vaginoscopic examination
- Local treatment of the vaginal mucosa (vaginal irrigation)
- How to perform transcervical catherization (artificial insemination)
