The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice
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Vet. Clin. North Am. Small Anim. Pract. · Sep 1989
ReviewCytology of the canine reproductive system.
The methods for semen collection, its laboratory examination, and the interpretation of findings are presented in this article. The lack of comprehensive data for normal dogs and the lack of data associating actual percentages of spermatozoa with specific abnormalities with fertility or infertility are highlighted. Consequently, there is a need for standardization and completeness of semen examination procedures, especially in studies destined for publication. ⋯ The ways in which vaginal smears can facilitate the diagnosis of the stage of the estrous cycle and the diagnosis of abnormalities of the cycle and other disorders of reproduction are presented. Further consideration is given to its use to estimate the time of ovulation retrospectively and estimate the time of whelping prospectively. Finally, two specific diseases that can affect dogs and bitches are reviewed, namely, canine brucellosis and transmissible venereal tumor.