Mon–Fri: 7:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sat: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
Sun: Closed
Urgent Care Mon–Thurs:6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
At Inver Grove Heights Animal Hospital, our reproduction services have advanced and grown over the past 30 years. We are proud of our ovulation and breeding protocols which are routinely successful. Our staff can guide and consult on every aspect of the breeding process including breeding management, progesterone timing, pregnancy confirmation, infertility issues, and neonatal care.
Our facility is well equipped to handle all your reproductive needs. Whether you elect to use fresh, fresh chilled or frozen semen, our staff is experienced in handling, evaluating and shipping canine semen. We have the ability to freeze semen for future use and offer an onsite semen storage facility.
We understand the care and concern that go along with breeding management, and we also know that there are many questions that come along it, too! We have created a Reproduction Frequently Asked Questions to help answer those you may have now but know we are here to help you every step of the way.
What is a pre-breeding exam and what does IGHAH require?
A pre-breeding exam is offered for clients who have dogs one year of age or older and are vaccinated for rabies. The purpose of this exam is to help ensure that each dog is a good breeding candidate with regards to health and give an opportunity for breeding clients to ask any questions they may have. During this appointment a physical exam is performed by a veterinarian, as well as a vaginal palpation, if the bitch is in heat. Depending on the pet’s heat cycle, a vaginal cytology, progesterone, and/or Brucellosis test may be offered. If a bitch is found to have a significant medical or behavioral concern, this will be discussed with you and it is possible that IGHAH will choose to not go forward with breeding management.
What health testing is recommended for my dog?
We at IGHAH recommend that each breeder seeks out recommendations for their selected breed with regards to health testing. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals offers a list of diseases and/or conditions which are considered of high importance for screening in each breed. Another good option is to reach out to your breed club for further guidance.
What infectious diseases should I screen for before breeding?
The biggest concern for infectious disease in breeding dogs is Brucella canis. This is a zoonotic (can spread to people) bacteria that is spread via blood, semen, and other bodily fluids of infected dogs. It most commonly causes reproductive disease in dogs and can often be carried long-term and sub-clinically (without symptoms). It is also unable to be cured. At a minimum we recommend screening all dogs new to breeding as well as dogs that have been bred (naturally or artificially) by a non-tested male or female. It is the gold standard and recommendation of the Society for Theriogenology to test before every breeding or every 6 months.
What is progesterone timing and why is it important?
Progesterone blood testing allows us to determine ovulation day and help identify the best breeding/fertile days as well as a more exact due date. We recommend drawing the first sample about 7 days after the bitch has started her estrous cycle (7 days from the first day bleeding is noted). A vaginal smear is included with the first test of each cycle to help assess where she is in her cycle. A progesterone test is repeated as needed throughout her cycle until ovulation is confirmed. On average 3 to 4 tests may be run, but each dog is different, and the number of progesterone tests needed will vary. Determining ovulation is a very important part of breeding management as it allows us to accurately predict a bitch’s due date. This is especially important in dogs that will likely require a c-section for delivery.
What types of semen can be used for breeding at IGHAH?
What are the types of artificial breeding that IGHAH offers?
Ovulation has been determined and breeding is complete, what’s next?
The next step will be to confirm whether or not a pregnancy has resulted. We recommend scheduling an ultrasound three and a half to four weeks after ovulation. At this appointment, we are able to see if any fetuses are present and often times and confirm heartbeats. Unfortunately, though, it does not give us a definitive estimate of litter size. The next appointment is a puppy count radiograph one week prior to the due date. This is very important for clients that are planning to whelp naturally (also called free-whelp) at home so they know when the final puppy is delivered.
What medications can I give my bitch during pregnancy?
What should I feed my dog while she is pregnant?
During pregnancy a dog’s nutritional requirements increase. We recommend that once your bitch has been confirmed pregnant via ultrasound or you suspect she is pregnant that you switch her to a food that has the AAFCO dog food nutrient profile of growth and reproduction. This usually includes foods that are listed as for puppies or all life stages. This food should then be continued through nursing. She might require more calories per day to maintain her body condition. It is not necessary to start pregnant dogs on vitamins or supplements if they are on the appropriate food.
What is a temperature drop, what does it mean for my dog?
A normal temperature for a dog is between 100-102.5. As your dog approaches her due date, we recommend taking rectal temperature reading twice daily. When the dog’s temperature falls below 99 degrees F, she could begin to whelp within 24 hours. Many dogs will start showing strong nesting instincts around this time. While a useful tool in determining when she will go into labor, it is not the only factor that contributes. It can be difficult to catch in some dogs and sometimes it is not as predictive as we would like.
What are the 3 stages of labor and what should I expect during each?
What are signs of a difficult birth (dystocia) and when should I seek help?
Why should I choose an elective c-section?
How long can I expect discharge to last after whelping or a c-section?
Vaginal discharge either after a c-section or vaginal delivery can last for up to 12 weeks. This discharge is called lochia. It is normally dark red to brown in color. The amount will decrease the further out she is from delivery.
The semen count, what does it mean?
The semen count is the amount of viable sperm in a sample. This number can be influenced by the size of the dog, how recently it was last collected/bred, recent illness, medications, libido, and age.
What is a breeding unit?
A breeding unit is normally defined as between 100 million and 200 million normal viable sperm or TLNC (Total Live Normal Cells). This number can vary depending on where a sample was collected. After collection, semen is then stored on liquid nitrogen in a few different ways (pellets or straws). The number of breeding units in each frozen unit varies.
What is a semen freeze?
A semen freeze is a collection, evaluation and cryogenic processing of a semen sample. Immediately after the collection, the semen is evaluated microscopically. We perform a complete semen analysis that includes a semen count, mobility, and morphology of the semen. If the quality is acceptable for freezing, the sample is then extended with a buffer solution that protects the cells during freezing and thawing at two different interval timings. The diluted semen sample is then pelleted onto a dry ice block. After we have the sample pelleted, 1 pellet is thawed and examined for motility and quality to achieve our post thaw motility. Average post thaw motility is 60%. This indicates that 60% of the original sample has survived the freezing process, as it is expected that some semen will not survive the process.
The collection and freezing process takes about 3 hours from the time of the collection. The client’s portion of the process takes about 30 minutes for the collection process.
We are an AKC approved permanent storage facility. The frozen semen is stored in Dewar tanks that have liquid nitrogen vapors at a temperature of -196 degrees Centigrade or approximately 300 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Every one of our Dewar tanks has their own security system to ensure that the liquid nitrogen levels are maintained to keep semen in a constant frozen state.
What are the requirements for a semen freeze?
We require the patient is 1 year of age or older for collection. A signed consent form for collection and storage is signed by the owner and any co-owners of the pet. All applicable registration information is required for proper handling and processing.
For AKC breeds:
