Endoscopic Vaginal Examination of the Female Canine Reproductive Tract

Vaginoscopy plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of reproductive anomalies, assessment of the extent of vaginal injuries, identification of the origin of vulvar discharge, and detection of repro-ductive-related factors contributing to urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infec-tions. Endoscopy of the vaginal canal is used both for diagnosis and also for intrauterine proce-dures such as artificial insemination. In addition, endoscopy has several advantages over surgical procedures because it is a non-invasive procedure. Flexible or rigid endoscopes may be used to perform endoscopic vaginoscopy. Endoscopes with a camera at the tip of the scope provide better image quality than scopes with fiber optic viewing. As a result, we recommend having accessible scopes of different sizes. Vaginal endoscopy is a diagnostic tool and technique that allows for both the diagnosis and performance of intrauterine procedures, such as artificial insemination, and provide additional diagnostic regarding estrus cycle phase, or to assess the source or origin of vulvar discharge, identify the type and size of vaginal tumors, polyps, and abnormalities. This method is noninvasive and presents several advantages over surgical procedures. Two major limitations are the cost of the equipment and the need for special training. Keywords: endoscopy; endoscopic examination; reproduction, reproductive tract, bitch