16 straws, 10 vials, 9 sires 🥶
Arrived safely today from HSB Blendivet GmbH 🌍✈️
Performed in a bitch who had one normal litter followed by a succession of silent heats - there was no indication only another bitch was constantly sniffing her.
She had an unusual progesterone curve - she stalled at a far lower level than normal. Owner was informed of low chance of success but decided to proceed with necessary caution.
She was mated with frozen semen and the cervix was almost closed but we succeeded.
-PG stalling likely caused by luteal cysts
At her 28 day scan we were not very hopeful but she surprised us by having one healthy puppy( and evidence of another resorbed puppy).
She went on to deliver a very healthy bitch pup. Not a huge win but the owner was extremely happy to have a pup from her own line. This bitch was retired from being a brood bitch - and owner was happy to spay her to eliminate future risks of disfunctional reproductive system.
Although this bitch has other issues it shows the importance of testing for ovulation rather than for high PG to indicate the prime breeding day.
This bitch came in at a 30 which would normally be day 3 post ovulation but this lady subsequently remained at a 30 for three consecutive days and was likely a 30 for 1-2 days before being tested.
🌟Even bitches without fertility issues sometimes stall and their fertile window can be easily misinterpreted 🌟... Had we have caught the ovulation date we would have known to breed on days 3 and 4 afterwards regardless of the rise as this gives the best chance at conceiving a litter. In this case the bitch was likely at the very end of the fertile period and there were only 1-2 viable eggs left.
Testing early may cost more in blood tests but it provides invaluable information.
Transcervical Insemination - TCI's can be challenging for many reasons - when using frozen semen we have to go later in the cycle to ensure the eggs are mature and ready for immediate fertilisation (frozen thawed semen only lives a few hours) 🥶
By doing later in the cycle the cervix has already started to tighten and in some cases is completely closed. This is particularly evident in maiden bitches.
The other challenge is that the cervix is a moving object so when you push the cannula against it, it moves away and the cannula tends to slip off - which is shown here in this video.
With patience you can manipulate the cervix to an ideal position and slowly advance your cannula with a lot of twisting and gentle pushing. The cannula is graduated by rings - the double ring let's you know you have reached the end of the cannula. This is only achieved in large breeds who have a large uterus!
The typical TCI takes just 15 minutes to complete. A difficult one can take a lot longer and can end up with resorting to surgical insemination if the cervix is very much closed.
TCI is suitable for frozen, chilled and fresh semen. This particular frozen semen TCI resulted in 8 healthy puppies 🐶
I will be freezing semen on alternate Saturdays from now on to accommodate those who cannot get time off on a weekday ❄️
If you want to book in send me a PM or give the office a call on 052 612 1712. Cost is €300 including a full year of storage or €270 if you want to do multiple freezes. Semen is fully veterinary certified and can be indefinitely stored and exported worldwide 🌍🥶
We currently have a few in house teaser bitches available.