Right now, the only way to know exactly if your pet is pregnant is to do an ultrasound at a veterinary clinic after 3 weeks or more. But that could change soon! A Finnish diagnostics company is launching the first rapid pregnancy test for our furry friends, which will be available in pet stores around the world in the near future.
This novelty makes it possible to diagnose pregnancy by detecting the hormone relaxin in the animal’s blood, which is only secreted by the placenta of a pregnant bitch. This test can be done as early as 28 days after your dog last ovulated by taking a blood sample from the inside of the cheek.
The invention has been tested on more than 30 different dog breeds and is 96% accurate according to Jarno Kukil, CEO and co-founder of Bellylabs LTD.
Jarno considers this development to be the most significant innovation in relation to pet pregnancy in decades. Since the gestation time in dogs is relatively short at around 63 days, the early detection of pregnancy enables the owner or breeder to create the best conditions for his animal. This test can also be used to determine complicated pregnancies in dogs.
