The microbiological flora of the vagina of bitches of a group of Beagle, before and during the first breeding cyclus

We studied the microbiological flora of the vagina of 22 juvenile Beagle-bitches and furtheron the flora during the first breeding cyclus. In 19 juvenile bitches (87 %) bacterial content was noticed on the healthy mucous membranes of the vagina. beta-Hemolytic streptococci of group G-type, Staphylococcus intermedius, anhemolytic streptococci, Escherichia coli and alpha-hemolytic streptococci were the most frequently isolated bacteria. Also during the first breeding cyclus these bacteria belonged to the normal flora of the vagina. The isolated bacteria were more often found in mixed cultures than in pure cultures. On average, 1,71 bacterial groups were isolated per specimen. Of the bacterial isolates 35 % were semiquantitatively classified as sparse, 12 % as moderate and 53 % as profuse. A decrease of the bacterial content was noticed in the late metestrus and the anestrus, while the highest content was seen in the proestrus and estrus.