AI

[Rachel]

I am interested in AI. Can anyone give me advice on how successful having a bitch Artificially inseminated is ? How does the vet go about doing this ?

Rachel

[weima]

It is fairly successful but obviously if it is a maiden bitch you don't actually know if she is fertile or not.

If I were you I would speak to Gil Simpson who is a leading authority on this subjuct in the UK! It depends on whether you are using chilled or frozen & you would need to make sure if you are bringing the semen into the UK that is has all the relevant paperwork with it.

The bitch has to be blood tested daily I think to make sure the vet knows exactly when to inseminate.
This might help with a few questions

www.tweedhousevets.co.uk/html/artificial_insemination.pdf

www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/478

www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/1206

HTH

[anne]

I think the vets experience with AI is key and the knowledge to read progesterone tests. Testing every 2 days I think is enough until you get close to ovulation, then you start testing daily. 2 days after ovulation is when they will inseminate for frozen. I did AI with frozen on an almost 6 year old maiden bitch, semen was as I said frozen, collected when the sire was 10, and we did get puppies. Like I said, I think timing is key.

[weima]

You could always speak to Russell Clarke as he has been down this route.
Gil does has a very good success rate across all breeds for AI.

[tasha]

the australians use this method alot for obvious reasons would certainly be worth asking their opinions.

[narelle]

We have done 4 and successfully had 4 good litters. The key IS the vet. Our vet specialises in this field and has a huge amount of experience.

However, we now progesterone test all our bitches for all breedings so we know when the time is 'right'. for instance we ahve a bitch in season now who needs to go interstate to a dog so we are progesterone testing to determine when we need to send her. The vet will tell us when to breed her and had it been a frozen he would have made a determination on the day to do it then aswell.

Alot of semen that we have imported has arrived and not been as good quality as we had expected but with an experienced vet he has managed to get us puppies every time.

Its indeed a worthwhile venture when you live in a remote place like Australia where we don't have that many stud dogs compared to the variety some other countries/continents do. For this reason the expertise does need to be here.

Narelle

[tasha]

I know of a lovely stud dog that has three lots of semen in storage he's too old to breed now but its nice to know that it is there for the future.

[narelle]

There are probably lots of dogs around that have semen down. and I would suggest to any potential stud dog owner that they do put semen down from their dogs. I know several breeders here who never took the opportunity to collect from some beautiful dogs.

Unfortunately, in Australia we can only import from dogs who are alive as we have certain tests which need to be performed on the dogs prior to collecting. Once again limiting us to what we can access in the way of stud dogs. Narelle

[tasha]

what sort of tests do they do Narelle?

[weima]

narelle said:

However, we now progesterone test all our bitches for all breedings so we know when the time is 'right'.

I have done the same test for years & it is excellent and always spot on. Bitches tend to be easier to mate if it is the optimum time.

My vet recommends the progesterone test for every bitch who is to be mated whether it be naturally or by AI.

[anne]

tasha said:

I know of a lovely stud dog that has three lots of semen in storage he's too old to breed now but its nice to know that it is there for the future.

I can't imagine that owners of stud dogs wouldn't take advantage of the relative ease and cost of collecting and storing their boys.
As Riley just turned 7, and as people are asking for him (even those in the US now seem to like the ease of AI rather than sending their bitches away) I am trying to keep some available for myself somewhere down the line so am frantically trying get more straws before he gets too old!
He loves going to the vet's office these days LOL

[narelle]

tasha said:

what sort of tests do they do Narelle?

as australia is rabies free, countries like the USA we have to get rabies titres done before collecting. Narelle

[tasha]

thats interesting i didn't know that rabies could pass to semen.

[narelle]

Actually, the dog has to have a rabies vaccination no older than 12 months and has to test for lepto and brucellosis and prove negative within 30 days of collection....we have to do titres for importing live animals....Narelle

[Rachel]

Thank you to everyone that has replied, its all been so helpful.
Rachel