Evaluation of embryo-foetal biometry and its correlation with parturition date in Toy Poodle bitches

Estimating the parturition date in dogs is challenging due to their reproductive peculiarities that. Ultrasonographic examination serves as a tool for studying embryo/foetal biometry and estimating the time of parturition by measuring foetal and extra-foetal structures. However, due to reproductive differences among various dog breeds, such estimates may have a non-significant pattern, representing inaccuracies in the estimated date of birth. This study aimed to monitor pregnant Toy Poodle bitches and establish relationships between ultrasonographically measured foetal and extra-foetal dimensions and the remaining time until parturition. Eighteen pregnant Toy Poodle bitches were subjected to weekly ultrasonographic evaluations and measurements of the inner chorionic cavity diameter, craniocaudal length (CCL), biparietal diameter (BPD), diameter of the deep portion of diencephalo-telencephalic vesicle (DPTV), abdominal diameter, thorax diameter (TXD), placental thickness and the renal diameter (REND). These parameters were retrospectively correlated with the date of parturition and linear regressions were established between gestational measurements and days before parturition (DBP). All analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM® SPSS®) program at a 5% significance level. The foetal measurements that showed a high correlation (r) and reliability (R²) with DBP were BPD [(DBP = [15.538 × BPD] - 39.756), r = .97 and R² = .93], TXD [(DBP = [8.933 × TXD] - 32.487), r = .94 and R² = .89], DPTV [(DBP = [34.580 × DPTV] - 39.403), r = .93 and R² = .86] and REND [(DBP = [13.735 × REND] - 28.937), r = .91 and R² = .82]. This statistically validates the application of these specific formulas to estimate the parturition date in Toy Poodle bitches.