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. 2024 Sep 23;68(3):347-353.
doi: 10.2478/jvetres-2024-0054. eCollection 2024 Sep.

The prevalence of Mycoplasma canis in the vaginas of breeding bitches

Dariusz Jagódka  1 , Edyta Kaczorek-Łukowska  2 , Piotr Andrzej Socha  3
Affiliations

The prevalence of Mycoplasma canis in the vaginas of breeding bitches

Dariusz Jagódka et al. J Vet Res. .

Abstract

Introduction: How bacterial infections of the reproductive tract cause infertility and the correlation between the health status of female dogs and the presence of Mycoplasma canis (M. canis) in the vagina are still unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the M. canis population in the vagina of breeding bitches and to correlate this microbial population with some fertility outcomes.

Material and methods: A total of 275 breeding bitches were included in the study. Vaginal samples were collected for microbiological and PCR testing.

Results: Mycoplasma canis was identified in 34.91% of the samples. One-third of bitches from the problem-free group and 41.18% from the group with problems were positive. In general, there were no significant differences in the prevalence of M. canis between the groups (P-value > 0.05). Mycoplasma canis occurs in both mated and unmated bitches and was found in a large number of kennels (67%). There was a correlation between M. canis in the kennel and the incidence of single puppy deaths and low litter sizes. There was also some correlation between the presence of M. canis in the vagina with at least two other bacterial strains and reproductive disorders.

Conclusion: Our results indicate that M. canis is part of the normal vaginal flora of breeding bitches, although a role for this bacterium in causing some reproductive disorders remains to be disproved.

Keywords: Mycoplasma canis; bacteria; dog; microbiome; vaginal flora.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interests Statement: The authors declare there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
The prevalence of Mycoplasma canis in the problem-free (healthy) group of breeding bitches (n = 198)
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
The prevalence of Mycoplasma canis in the group of breeding bitches with fertility disorders (n = 68)
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
The prevalence of M. canis in the group of bitches which had naturally mated at least once (n = 169)
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
The prevalence of Mycoplasma canis in the group of bitches which had never naturally mated (n = 106)
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
The prevalence of Mycoplasma canis in the dog kennels of breeding bitches (n = 82)
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
The correlation between Mycoplasma canis-positive bitches and the number of additional bacterial strains
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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