Canine Reproduction Service

Canine Reproductive Services

We provide comprehensive canine reproductive services at OPVMC. Below you will find a description of these services.

A. Canine Ovulation Timing:

Progesterone Testing: Blood is submitted to a local laboratory for measurement of serum progesterone. Progesterone levels are used to determine when the dog is ovulating. This information allows us to determine when the dog should be bred. The blood samples are typically drawn every other day, beginning when the owner first notices vaginal bleeding. Typically we will need to draw 3-5 samples, although this can vary from dog to dog.

B. Artificial Insemination:

Artificial Insemination becomes necessary when the dogs will not or cannot breed naturally or when the dogs are separated geographically. Below is a description of the Artificial Insemination services offered at OPVMC:

1. Artificial Insemination using fresh semen: the male and female dog are brought to the hospital, a semen sample is collected from the male and the female is inseminated. The insemination is typically performed vaginally using a thin tube called a pipette. This does not require any type of sedation, as it is a painless procedure. The insemination date is typically determined by the progesterone results as described above.

2. Artificial Insemination using chilled semen: Many times the male and female dogs live in different parts of the country. Rather than shipping the dogs back and forth, semen can be collected from the male and shipped overnight to our hospital. The insemination can then be performed here the following day. The date of the insemination is again dictated by the date of ovulation, which is determined by checking progesterone levels.

3. Artificial Insemination using Frozen Semen: Semen can be collected and stored in liquid nitrogen for use at a later date. Breeders will often have this done for their very valuable dogs for future use. Frozen semen can be shipped anywhere in the world. When we use frozen semen for an insemination the procedure is typically performed by surgically placing the semen into the uterus. We also have a fiber optic cystoscope, which can be used to perform transcervical inseminations, eliminating the need for surgery.