Questions and answers on a discussion about Delvosterone from our old Delphi forum
Question My little girl had her 1st season in august &
went into
phantom straight after. I treated her homeopathically and seemed to
solve her
problems (milk production stopped, etc) then last week (when she would
have been
due to whelp (had she been mated) she went off her food, started crying,
making
beds etc. She would not eat more than a mouth full of food and was
losing weight
fast, so tonight I took her to my vet, who gave her a Delvosteron
injection. Now
I am worried sick about possible side affects (having checked it out on
the net.
Has anyone here used Delvosteron? and what are the benefits and side
effects?? I
tried to avoid giving her anything un natural but got so scared at her
weight
loss. I would be most grateful for any information and advice (as I
really don't
want to give her this if she has a bad phantom again).
one very worried mum. Cath
Answer My oldest Girl had 2 injections of Delvasteron. It stopped her seasons but never stopped her phantoms, she was still having them. So I stopped the injections. But she had no side effects at all. Paula
Answer One of my girls had 3 Injections. She had first season at 8 month and went down hill after that. Lost weight and lost interest in everything. After the injection she was fine and there where no side effects with my girl. She had last injection a year ago. She is now 4 and back to normal seasons no phantom's, and her weight is fine now. She eat's like a pig now. Karola
Answer My six year old suffers really badly with phantoms. For the past three years we have given her the delvosteron injection on a fairly regular basis. I have no intention of breeding from her, yet I am very reluctant to have her spayed. Are there any long term problems with the injection that you are aware of, if so I would be very interested. Lynda
Answer Don't know the exact side effects of long term use, but both vets i have asked including the one that gave the injections to my bitch, both said they would not recommend continued use for more than 2 years. Paula
Answer As far as a know there are no long term problems. As I said my bitch is fine it helped her at the time to be able to mature and get a proper eating pattern. She was not eating at all before the injection, I had to force feed her. Now she is fine and eats anything that's not nailed down. Karola
Answer We have used Delvosteron for a number of years now. We had 3 dogs (one was an oldie) and 3 girls. They all live in the house with us and I was worried that there might be friction between the dogs when one of the girls had a season. We are very lucky to have had the same vet for the last 35 years. I trust him totally and in his opinion the injection is safe to use long term. We lost our 2 oldies and now have 2 boys and 2 girls. I have just stopped using Delvosteron because a season should not cause so much upset now. The longest any of ours have been on the 'jab' is four years and I personally feel that is quite long enough. We have never had any side effects. You can still detect hormonal changes such as lack of appetite for a few days or milk production. A friend of mine had a girl who had really terrible false pregnancies, her vet put her on Delvosteron which helped a lot. Her symptoms were a lot less severe, she stayed on it all her life and lived to be a very good age, with no apparent side effects. Shirley
Answer My vet told me the risk long term giving Delvosteron or other is that they CAN develops mammary tumours faster then normal.....He said a good check every 5 months or more does help to be fast when that should happen. Gonny
Question I was wondering if this drug is used if it would cause problems in getting the bitch in whelp at a later date if you wanted to as it is stopping seasons, does anyone know please, just curious. Hazel
Answer I have polly Jabbed, and have done since she was 8, but I only jab her when she comes into season, (not how they recommend Delvosteron to be use)....Polly comes into season without fail every 12 months so gets one injection a year.... if I was doing what most vets wanted she would be jabbed every 5 months....I have known a fair few bitches who have been jabbed on a regular basis and have never been able to get into whelp....but others, after a clean season and mated on the next seem fine , tumours are said to come in later life but then they can appear on a un jabbed bitch as well.. here is a bit about Delvosteron, have a read its interesting Jo
Delvosteron
Data Sheet
Presentation
A white, aqueous, sterile injectable suspension containing 100 mg/ml
proligestone. Preservatives methylhydroxybenzoate 1 mg/ml and
propylhydroxybenzoate 0.12 mg/ml.
Uses The
safety of progestagens is related to their molecular structure.
Proligestone has
a unique molecular configuration which makes it possible to administer
Delvosteron at any stage of the oestrous cycle with little risk of
undesirable
effects on the endometrium.
1.Oestrus control (i) Bitches
Permanent
postponement of heat
Repeat injections given in anoestrus/metoestrus induced by the previous
administration of Delvosteron.
Temporary postponement of heat
A single injection given in anoestrus.
Suppression of heat
A single injection given at the beginning of pro-oestrus.
Dosage and
Administration
Dosage
Bitches: 10-33 mg/kg bodyweight. The recommended average doses are as
follows:
Body weight (kg)
Dose in ml
5
1-1.5
5-10
1.5-2.5
10-20
2.5-3.5
20-30
3.5-4.5
30-45
4.5-5.5
45-60
5.5-6.0
thereafter
10 mg/kg
Route of
administration
Delvosteron should be given by subcutaneous injection taking special
care to
ensure that the product is not deposited intradermally or into a pad of
subcutaneous fat or scar tissue. The usual aseptic precautions should be
observed, i.e. the site to be used should be cleansed and swabbed with
spirit.
It is helpful to massage the injection site following administration to
promote
dispersion of the product.
Dosage schedule
Bitches
Permanent postponement of heat
It is recommended that injections are given as follows:
1st
injection
in pro-oestrus (see suppression of heat, overleaf), or in anoestrus (see
temporary postponement of heat, overleaf).
2nd injection 3 months after 1st injection
3rd
injection
4 months after 2nd injection
subsequent injections at 5 monthly intervals.
An injection of Delvosteron may be given to maintain permanent
postponement of
heat in bitches that are presented late, provided that postponement has
not been
interrupted by heat.
If anoestrus is not fully maintained, i.e. a `breakthrough' oestrus
occurs in
bitches on the permanent postponement regime described above, then
immediate
re-injection is suggested followed by dosing at intervals described
above, but
starting one step back in the duration of intervals between injections. For
example, if a breakthrough heat occurs in a bitch being given injections
at 5
monthly intervals, an immediate dose is given, the next dose 4 months
later and
the subsequent doses at 5 monthly intervals.
Following termination of a permanent postponement course, the next
oestrus will
occur generally 6-7 months after the last injection. In approximately 4% of
cases the interval may be less than 5 months and in 7% it may be longer
than 12
months. Up to 3% of bitches may fail to come on heat again when a permanent
postponement course is terminated.
Temporary
postponement of heat
A single injection given at any time in anoestrus but preferably not
more than
one month before the effect is required. The subsequent oestrus will
occur on
average 6 months after the injection. In about 3% of cases the interval
will be
shorter than 3 months and in up to 4% of bitches the delay will be
longer than
12 months.
Suppression of
heat
A single injection as soon as possible after the onset of pro-oestrus is
seen.
Following the injection, bleeding, vulval swelling and attractiveness to
dogs
should gradually decrease and stop within 5-7 days. The time for return to
oestrus in the majority of bitches will be 5-6 months on average, but in
approximately 3% of bitches the interval will be shorter than 3 months
and in 1%
it will be longer than 12 months.
Treatment of
false pregnancy
A single dose, given preferably as soon as the signs are seen. In most
cases
nervous signs will disappear within 6 days and lactation will have
stopped or be
much reduced by day 9 after injection. In approximately 20% of cases the
signs
will recur within one month of treatment, about 70% of these cases will
respond
to a second dose.
Prevention of
false pregnancy
Medication for permanent postponement of oestrus as advocated above.
Contra-indications, warnings etc
1.As with
all progestagens, the possibility exists that the Cystic Endometrial
Hyperplasia/pyometra complex may be seen as a side effect of the
medication. In
the clinical trials carried out with Delvosteron, however, the incidence of
uterine disorders including pyometra, was only 0.3% overall and no cases
occurred in bitches injected in pro-oestrus. The incidence of uterine
changes
was higher (1.4%) in animals which had previously received depot
progestagens
containing medroxyprogesterone acetate.
2.A
transient increased appetite, lethargy and weight gain may be seen in some
animals medicated with Delvosteron, but these side effects occur less
frequently
than with the first generation progestagens such as medroxyprogesterone
acetate
or megestrol acetate.
3.When
using Delvosteron for the suppression of heat, it is important to ensure
that
the bitch is still in the early stages of pro-oestrus as an injection
given in
the later stages of pro-oestrus is unlikely to be effective at
suppressing heat.
4.Bitches
may accept the male for some days after medication with Delvosteron in
pro-oestrus (suppression of heat). Thus contact with dogs should be
prevented,
wherever possible, until the signs of heat, vulval swelling and bleeding
have
fully regressed. This usually occurs within 5 days of dosing.
In bitches, the duration of postponement of oestrus following a dose of
Delvosteron may on occasion be shorter than expected where the medicated
animal
is housed with other bitches. In such cases contact the Company for
advice on
possible alternative dosage regimes.
5.Delvosteron
has been used to control heat in diabetic animals without altering insulin
requirement. However, in other animals, the administration of
Delvosteron has
led to an increased insulin requirement. It is advised therefore that the
product is used with caution in such animals and that urine sugar levels
are
observed carefully during the month after dosing.
6.A brief
pain reaction may be seen immediately after injection. Since a slight local
reaction, skin thinning and `pitting' together with some discolouration
and loss
of hair may occur very occasionally, it is advisable to inject Delvosteron
subcutaneously on the medial side of the #### fold in thin skinned or show
animals.
7.Very
occasionally a local or systemic allergic/anaphylactic reaction may occur,
necessitating immediate treatment with an appropriate corticosteroid,
antihistamine or adrenaline.
8.Cases of
false pregnancy that recur after a second dose of Delvosteron are better
treated
conservatively (restricted water intake, low carbohydrate diet, increased
exercise, etc.) rather than being given further hormone medication.
Delvosteron
should not be administered to bitches which have been treated previously
with
oestrogens or other progestagens for the current false pregnancy.
9.A few
cases of mammary hypertrophy following the use of Delvosteron in entire and
neutered queens have been recorded, but proligestone appears less likely to
induce the condition than first generation progestagens.
10.Delvosteron,
in common with other progestagens, may cause adrenal suppression in some
animals. It may be sensible therefore to administer glucocorticoids to
animals
being given the product for the permanent postponement of heat if they are
subjected to excessive trauma, stress or require major surgery. However no
problems have been reported by veterinary surgeons in practice in this
respect.
Further
information
Although Delvosteron may be used to medicate bitches at their first
oestrus,
this regime is not normally recommended. Similarly medication before a
bitch's
first oestrus is not generally advised. Delvosteron may be safely used in
breeding bitches, queens or jills; fecundity at the oestrus following the
cessation of medication is not adversely affected. Delvosteron is not
contra-indicated in bitches with a history of abnormal cycles or those
which
have shown or are showing signs of urogenital tract disorders. Indeed
there is
an indication that the product may be used beneficially in such caes; for
example the permanent postponement of oestrus with Delvosteron may
prevent the
recurrence of endometritis. Delvosteron generally has little
effect on the
performance of racing greyhounds.
In trials, 65% of cases of allergic skin conditions in dogs responded
well to a
single dose of 10-33 mg/kg, as recommended for oestrus control in bitches,
although not unexpectedly the response was only maintained in just over one
third of the cases. Cases of flea hypersensitivity responded
particularly well.
Dosing with Delvosteron may thus be a useful alternative to medication with
glucocorticoids whilst the underlying case is being eliminated
Answer I have used this injection in the past on a couple of
my girls
and I had no problems at all in getting them in whelp, I had designer genes
jabbed for two years then let her have a clear season as was recommended
by my
vet then we mated her on her next season and she took and produced 9
healthy
puppies she also had a further two litters without any problem she lived
a full
healthy life until we lost her at 12 and a half, with no sign of any
mammary
tumours at all. Yet I lost my first afghan aged 13 with Mammary Cancer
and I'd
never had her seasons stopped!
I'm sure I heard somewhere that there is now a new product to stop
season that
doesn't have male hormone in it maybe someone could enlighten us?
Jayne
Answer that's what I wanted to hear, that you could still get the bitch in whelp at a later date after using Delvosteron as I have heard of bitches being unable to conceive after their owners used other products interfering with the natural cycle and know that at some later stage Cath might want to mate her young bitch. Hazel
Answer Coming a bit late into this thread having
been "Away"
but reading through I note the many comments in regard to CATH's initial
question on delvostrone jabs.& your comment on this being a SAFE
drug, well ALL
DRUGS will have some dangers and NONE could be considered 100per cent
safe....these etra emy comments on DELVOSTRONE based on my own
experiences in
using this drug and on comments from vet experts in Onocology and the "risk
factors " associated with mammary tumours.
This topic has been raised before on IAC, and will be amongst the old
messages
somewhere on line and I have previously made comment myself. so
apologies for
repeating.. Just just to add to this current thread. At a veterinary talk I
attended in 1996 in regards to CANCERs and specifically the MAMMARY
TUMOURS, the
Onocologists at Cambridge Vet School at that time were adamant that
there WAS a
significant RISK FACTOR with PROSTAGEN's that are contained in these
chemical
suppressant drugs to prevent seasons, specifically in those bitches who
showed
GENETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY to such tumours (same has in HUMAN families)
The Hunting Breeds & those highly In-bred do appear to carry an
increased
susceptibility & this MUST be addressed when ANY owner decides to
embark on a
long term programme for the delaying of heats for whatever the
reasons.
Many owners may encounter NO problems & will give a perfectly "Safe"
History" of
having given the drug with NO apparent ill effects....BUT... All bitches
are
different and what may work for one may NOT work for another. INFORMED
CHOICE is
the key phrase.
From my own experience in using Delvostrone. My MADAM GAYE had this
drug in her
later years as we (my vet & I ) felt we were not prepared to risk a
surgical
spay given her history with GA and Post-Op shock following her ceasarian
section
in 1991 when she almost died. She went on to develop mammary tumours very
quickly and died before the age of 10 years with secondaries in lung
& spine
(the usual route for secondary deposits)...Her litter sister, my EDITH
PIAF, was
given just 2 shots only of this same drug and she too later developed
tumours...These bitches are from a family that does have an apparent
history of
mammary tumours, needless to say I have NEVER given this since and would
not be
prepared to do so unless there was a VERY RELEVANT HEALTH reason and I had
weighed up all the relevant factors.
I of course cannot say that these two girls would not have developed
tumours had
they NOT been given the drug...however 3 of their litter sisters lived
to good
ages, 13 years plus and one to almost 17 years.
I am aware that a number of owners who have had bitches who have
developed one
of the blood related Auto-Immune conditions, DO use the drug as the risk
factor
related to a surgical procedure in this scenario might well be
considered to be
a greater risk.
Concerning seasons and phantoms. I found that phantoms did STILL continue
despite the artificial delaying of the season.
Phantoms can be dealt with in a variety of ways but and I personally
would never
consider giving delvostone to a bitch who was already exhibiting severe
signs of
phantom...you are "playing with the hormones again!....There are a
variety of
alternative options and many WILL work most successfully, forget just
SEPIA and
PULSATILLA homoeopathic remedies! ....There are many other affective
alternative
homoeopathic remedies....once again each bitch is different.
URTICa in LOW potency, *VERY important to remember LOW, will dry up the
milk and
PHYTOLACCA is a great gland swelling remedy & works well on engorged
breast
tissue.
Consultation with a Homoeopathic vet may be of help in such a
situation.
Of course it is for each owner to make the final decision in what they will
choose to do in the best interest for their bitch....NOT just to keep
them in
coat & prevent seasons for show ring prowess..................Well
that is MY
view!
I also believe that there are some owners who HAVE experienced
difficulties in
getting their bitches into whelp following prolonged courses of delvostrone
shots (less than 4 years, from what owners have told me,) also if they
have got
bitches into whelp there have been problems with some of the puppies
physical
developments...but AGAIN.. this could be open to debate. Sylvia
Answer I have used Delvosteron for many years now. All my
dogs live
together ( male and female ) and it makes life much easier when we do
not have
seasons.
My girls have delvosteron on the FIRST /SECOND DAY of colour.I have
never given
it 4/5 months later.I wait for the season to come round again in a
normal way. I
have found that some come in at 6 months but others have gone 10 months
or even
longer.
Regarding litters I have never had a problem. Rhana produced 2 litters
of 13 and
11 and had always been on Delvosteron and we did not let her have a normal
season befoe mating her. The others had litters ranging from 6 -
10.Again with
no normal season before mating them. However I have to say that some
still have
'phantoms'. Pat
Answer I have been watching this string with interest, as I have used Delvosteron many years ago. The vetinary hospital that I used took care to explain that this drug is generally considered safe, but as Sylvia pointed out there have been some reports of adverse effects from the use of progestins. These reports can be seen on the following link, but be aware, it is written for vets! Gerry
Question Thank you for your very interesting article.I
have
been following this thread with great interest as both my girls are on
Delvosteron.
I have searched the thread looking for an answer to my worries and could
not
find what I was looking for and wondered perhaps if you could give me
any advice
on the subject. My concerns are that once you stop giving Delvosteron is
there
more incidences of pyometra developing? I understand that this was a
problem with the older type drugs. Do you think this could still be a
problem
nowadays? My vet has told me that in later life this could be a
problem
but may have been age induced due to hormonal changes that would occur
anyway.
My girl has had three injections and I am now having a great problem
with weight
gain (despite the fact she is on a permanent diet).
She seems to be carrying a lot of weight over her loins and I wondered
perhaps I
should take her off the Delvosteron and see if she regains her normal
weight. My
concerns are that if I do she may go down with pyometra.
I would be so grateful for any advice you could give me regarding this
and would
really appreciate hearing from anyone who has had problems with pyometra
after a
supression of heat. Jackie
Answer I can only relate my own experience in using this drug (albeit at the time for a valid medical reason as we preferred NOT to do a surgical spay on a bitch with a high risk factor relating to GA as I tried to explain in my original message)....you could say it was for CONVENIENCE albeit with an underlying medical reason for that convenience...You say that you are afraid of PYOMETRA, I think every owner who has a bitch has this FEAR at the back of the mind always.....but "playing with HORMONES could in fact create even MORE problems...I always say WHAT DO THE VETS & THE DRUG COMPANIES NOT TELL YOU!!....
The following extract may help you....I know it is a bit technical but in short the incidence of a pyometra will INCREASE with continuing use of any drug containing the progestins.
I would agree with your vet that there is a "Grey Area" and who can say if a bitch will or will NOT develop a pyo in middle or late age, maiden or a brood. In fact my own ANGELINA BALLERINA who NEVER had any jabs and had a litter at 6 years with NO problems at time of whelping etc, went on to develop a pyometra at 11 years plus. She was operated on and was fine, she died just before her 13th birthday.
I had another bitch who we could NEVER get into whelp, she likewise NEVER received any hormonal jabs and she got a pyometra at 8 years old.
There are many ways of controlling the situation in regard to early prevention of phantom Ps and the prevention & certainly early signs of a potential risk of pyometra. The keyword is OBSERVATION of the bitch at all times
Increased Incidence of Uterine Pathology - High doses of progestin, or repeated or prolonged exposure to moderate doses of progesterone or progestins will cause cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH). Cystic endometrial hyperplasia involves proliferation of the glandular endometrium, and cystic dilatation of the endometrial glands with endometrial fluid accumulated in their lumen. The length of the canine luteal phase (2 months) and the relatively high progesterone concentrations during the first third of the progestational phase (15 to 80 ng/ml) predisposes the canine uterus to spontaneously develop CEH, a phenomenon which tends to disappear on itself towards the end of diestrus. CEH is typically an incidental finding, and its natural incidence is not known. CEH generally appears only in areas of the endometrium not supporting a placenta, and develops in a more rapid and intensive way if the uterus has been primed by estrogens ,Exposure of the endometrium to progestins causes proliferation of the superficial layers of the endometrium with increased secretory activity of the endometrial glands, which can lead to CEH ]. CEH predisposes the uterus to infection, typically by otherwise normal vaginal flora, and can result in pyometra. The incidence of pyometra is increased with the use of progestins
this may interest you given the weight increases you have noted in your bitches.......I certainly had this with the second of my bitches who had the jab and then developed mammary tumours, when we stopped the delvostron, the weight came off!
Behavioral Modification - Behavioral modification including increased appetite with resulting weight gain, polydipsia and mild depression have been reported with progestin treatment in both the bitch and queen. Progestins have also been reported to cause decreased libido in males, and have been used therapeutically to suppress male libido in both dogs and humans.
Contraindications
for use of Progestins.
Do not treat females that are potentially pregnant, as this may cause fetal
developmental defects especially masculinization of females, as well as
delay
onset of parturition, thereby causing fetal death in utero due to placental
detachment.
Do not treat animals with a history of frequent or excessive vaginal
discharge.
Do not treat animals with a family history of uterine, mammary or liver
disease.
Do not treat diabetic patients.
Local Skin Alterations - Local skin alteration including skin discoloration, alopecia, skin atrophy, and calcinosis circumscripta have been reported at sites of progestin injections Sylvia
Question Tinah is on delvasteron too...and my vet advises too every 5 month jab... I don't like the thought of jabbing too much like most of you. Please can you tell me if you jab your girls at the first or second day how the boys react? Is giving the injection at that moment enough to avoid dogs from being idiots and from fighting? I would love to wait until Tinah starts her season if there is no risk of my boys getting too excited? Gonny
Answer As I said I wait until we have colour. My vet gives the injection only if we are within 48 hours of colour. After that it is too late. They have a 'season' in so much that they have colour. This lasts about 5 days. My dogs never pester the girls when it is done this way. They all still play happily together. We have done it this way since Delvosteron first came out.( many years now ) I have told other people to do it this way and nobody has had any problems. I feel a lot happier because they are not done every 5 months. Pat
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