We use information about your method of breeding in conjunction with and vaginal cytology to assist you in determining the optimal time to breed your dogs.
Vaginal cytology is performed on female dogs by taking a swab of the vaginal cells and analyzing them under a microscope.
Progesterone Assay is a blood test that measures the hormone progesterone to help us determine the day of ovulation.
In is important for dogs to reach skeletal maturity before they carry their first pregnancy. For this reason we will not breed dogs younger than 18 months old.
- Surgical Insemination has the highest success rate. It requires general anesthesia and a brief abdominal surgery. Surgical insemination eliminates problems related the vagina or the cervix as a barrier to producing offspring. While this method can be used for any type of semen, it is always used for frozen semen.
- Vaginal insemination is the most straight forward, and is generally the place we start. We can use fresh semen (side by side) or chilled semen.
- Transcervical Insemination (TCI) involves a using an endoscope to insert semen into the cervix. While Dr. Covington is trained on TCI, we do not current have the equipment to offer this service.
- When the dogs breed naturally, without human intervention, we can also be of assistance by helping determine the optimal date to breed.
During a c-section, the mother is given an anesthetic. An incision is then made along her abdomen and through the uterus to retrieve unborn puppies or kittens. We do not spay the mother during this procedure. The amount of blood loss that occurs during a c-section is not conducive to healing.
