As the Progesterone Rises

Sparkle is feeling a bit like an Ill Wish Doll these days with all the needle sticks for the blood needed to track her progesterone level.

We check progesterone because it is a clue about Luteinizing Hormone (LH), which is the trigger for ovulation in mammals. LH is transient and easy to miss, even testing once each day.

When progesterone hits a certain value, the LH surge has occurred — we call that Day 0; ovulation begins on Day 2.

The eggs need to mature and so fertilization cannot occur in dogs before maybe Day 3, and Days 4 - 6 are actually the optimal breeding days.

Poor timing is a typical reason for breeding failure. Sparkle is almost six — we cannot afford to fail.

A slight complication is that experts have different ideas of the progesterone value that reflects the LH surge and therefore, ovulation.

• Anything over 0.9.

• 1.8 - 2.5.

• 2.0 - 3.0

To help you understand how the variability in values might complicate things, consider Sparkle’s progesterone numbers:

• Tuesday @ 1 pm: 0.36

• Wednesday @ 2 pm: 0.6

• Thursday @ 2 pm: 0.9

• Friday @ 12 pm: 2.6

Yesterday’s value of 2.6 likely represents the LH surge. But it is possible that she had the surge late on Thursday, depending on whose progesterone values one uses to reflect the LH surge. Therefore, one could support Thursday or Friday as Day 0 for Sparkle.

We have set aside serum from each day’s progesterone test and will check for the presence of LH in the samples with progesterone values suggesting the LH rise — Friday’s sample for sure.

It is complicated, isn’t it? Personally, I think the intentional and thoughtful creation of life should be complicated.

We check progesterone again this morning. This involves driving to Missoula and having the blood drawn, and then I deliver it to the human hospital lab; results are typically available in 2 - 3 hours.

If Thursday was Day 0, breeding should begin on Monday. If Friday was Day 0, breeding should begin on Tuesday. We will see what the LH says but I am inclined to start on Monday — just to be sure.

And so we leave tomorrow — it is a bit of an unusual Destination Wedding.

Are your Lucky Socks ready for all this?

When Your Brain is Busy

I heard commotion (“%$#@!”) from the other room and concerned wife that I am, I ignored it.

I figured Dear Husband had just hit his head on a cabinet door — again.

Nope. It was different this time — Dear Husband has a big bruise on his knee from running into a drawer.

This is only sort of my fault.

I am usually much too busy thinking about something to pay attention to the small detail of closing drawers and cabinet doors. Therefore, the kitchen usually looks ransacked and yes — it can be dangerous.

But shouldn’t he look where he is going?! This is not a new thing, after all.

There is no lack of things to think about lately — it is a wonder that any door or drawer in the house is closed. And high on the list is the small issue of finding a father for Sparklers 2.0 after the sad event of the last minute cancellation of Sparkle’s long planned wedding (and more to the point — the honeymoon).

However, while a busy brain is frequently inconvenient and dangerously distracted, it also means that I never lack for ideas. Indeed, I had a long-planned idea in my back pocket, so to speak.

And upon much reflection, I decided that the Universe had a message about that particular idea and it went like this…

However, the complicated steps necessary to translate the idea into an actionable plan — as we watch Sparkle’s progesterone on the slow march to ovulation — has meant a lot of open doors and drawers around here lately.

To be continued.

Here We Go.

Do you know what this means?

Progesterone testing has commenced!

Yes, it is time to welcome you all to Sparkle’s Excellent Adventure.

Because April 4 was not complicated enough, with that whole “Oops, you are actually not heading into heart failure after all” fiasco (aka be careful with cut and paste in electronic medical records), Sparkle chose that morning to come into season.

And because apparently the day had space for MORE, I got an email that very morning from the owner of the long-planned stud dog saying that he was not currently available — for good reasons and nothing to do with Sparkle. But still…

Good thing the cake wasn’t yet ordered.

Poor Sparkle.

Much disappointment and sadness all around ensued. But there was no time to waste — we needed a solid Plan B.

Hmmmm…

To be continued…