Preparing to breed your bitch - Steps to take for success:

1. Know the method of breeding that you wish to use:

• Natural Breeding; or possible side-by-side A.I.
• Chilled Semen; shipped overnight, generally FedEx
• Frozen Semen; stored either locally or at another center

2. Make arrangements with the stud owner to be prepared to ship semen to your veterinarian or authorize the release of frozen semen to your veterinarian. Make sure you fully understand the costs involved.
3. As the bitch owner, you will be expected to pay for several things in addition to the stud fee. Generally you will need to pay for the cost of the Puppy Paks for chilled semen in addition to the collection of the dog and shipment of the semen. Plan on two breedings. For a frozen semen breeding there is a charge for the release of the frozen semen from the storage facility, rental of the shipping dewar and shipping charges for overnight delivery to the veterinarian that will be doing the insemination for you.
4. Ensure that the veterinarian performing the insemination for you is well versed in the procedure and comfortable with ovulation timing and using chilled or frozen semen. You also need to completely understand the method of insemination used by the veterinarian.
5. Chilled Semen: vaginal insemination or Trans-Cervical Insemination (TCI)
6. Frozen Semen: surgical insemination or TCI. Vaginal inseminations have been successful with Frozen Semen, however, not felt to acquire normal sized litters.
7. Contact your veterinarian’s office when your bitch comes into season. Plan to begin ovulation timing on the 5th or 6th day of her cycle. It is a good idea to have virgin bitches digitally examined for strictures at this time as well.
8. Vaginal Cultures: If your bitch has a history of vaginal infections or the stud owner requires this, you should have this done on the FIRST day of your bitch’s cycle. Remember, it can take 3 – 5 days to get the results.
9. MYCOPLASMA: Should be done 3 – 4 weeks prior to breeding as it can take as long as 3 weeks to get a negative result.
10. Ovulation timing requires progesterone testing and LH testing. These are blood tests that are drawn every other or every day. Be sure that your veterinarian is using a laboratory test to check progesterone. In-house test kits are completely unreliable. Samples may be sent to our office via FedEx using the Ovulation Protocol available from our office staff. Results will be available the same day we receive the sample.
11. Be prepared to make arrangements for shipment if “Mother Nature” throws you a curve ball and you need the semen on a holiday or weekend! Be aware that most airlines will not allow counter-to-counter shipments unless you are a “Known Shipper”. Many times, we must use the services of a courier service.
12. Be prepared to “bend with the wind” in case your bitch does not follow the book! Sometimes breedings require weekend breedings, late night breedings and even holiday breedings.
13. Be committed to working with your veterinarian to have a successful breeding.

Successful ovulation timing involves several things:

• Knowing when the bitch comes into season, d1 (day 1)
• Progesterone testing beginning on d5 or d6 (day 5 or day 6)
• LH testing if necessary
• Vaginal cytology to corroborate progesterone results and physical signs.

The only accurate ovulation tests are from laboratory blood tests! With the quantitative results reported in nanograms/ml.

We have a miniVidas machine in your reproductive center so we do not have to send our progesterone tests out to the lab. The advantages of your vet having his own machine are: you can run daily tests (if necessary) and have the results in an hour as opposed to having to wait 24 to 72 hours for results when sent out to a commercial lab!

The progesterone tests will help us to estimate when the LH surge occurs and when ovulation occurs. These help us to determine the bitch’s most fertile period for breeding.

Progesterone tests should be run every other day to determine when the LH surge occurs. When the progesterone value doubles or is at least 1.5 – 3.5 ng/ml on the miniVidas scale, this should coincide with LH surge.

Ovulation generally is 48 to 72 hours post LH surge. The eggs then are not capable of being fertilized until 48 hours post ovulation and then receptive for 48 to 72 hours.

When the day of LH surge is determined, consider that day zero. Count forward 4 days and that is the first day for a natural breeding or with chilled semen. Usually, progesterone level is near 15.0 – 20.5 ng/ml on the miniVidas scale.

MiniVidas results vary somewhat from standard laboratory values. Through research we have put together a chart that compares the miniVidas results from our machine to lab (IDEXX) values. You can download and print our Progesterone Value Comparison Chart on the the FORMS/LINKS dropdown menu above.

Frozen semen should be implanted at ideally the point when all three specifics are met:

1. Day 5 or 6 post LH surge
2. 60 hours post ovulation
3. Progesterone levels of 35.0 - 40.0 ng/ml on the miniVidas results

LH testing is rarely used today, however, it was most used when planning a frozen semen breeding or when breeding a bitch that has a history of difficulty of conceiving. LH tests must be done daily and the blood must be drawn at approximately the same time each day. LH is only measurable in the bitch for a short period of time (12 to 24 hours) and it can be easy to miss it. An in-house test kit has been available from Synbiotics, however a short shelf life limits its use and it currently has been taken off the market. A link to the Synbiotics website can be found on the the FORMS/LINKS dropdown menu above.

Please Note: Every cycle is different for each bitch. They are never truly the same each cycle. All timelines for when LH Surge and Ovulation occur are if your bitch goes “By the Book”. Many girls have not read “The Book” and therefore do not necessarily follow this progression. Be prepared for your girl to not follow “The Book” and be happy if she does!