Frozen semen - Page 2

Dr. Robert Hutchoinson, in North Ridgeville Ohio is one of the leading canine reporductive specialists. He is worth consulting if you have a problem bitch, or poor quality frozen semen or only few straws left from a deceased stud dog. I have never dealt withhim, but have attended some of his seminars. The Suffield Veterinary Hospital in Connecticut is an I.C.G. affiliated frozen and chilled-extended semen center, and they're also an experienced reproductive practice. Had good results with a Labrador stud dog collected there in the mid-1990s. The collections were sent for storage to Synbiotics, in San Diego, California, which is far, but they were prompt and professional in sending a shipment back east in 2004.

Initial reproductive exam is $73.00. Semen collection/evaluation is $34.00. Semen freezing is $250 plus $5 per tube/insemination dose per year. James L. Rhodes, VMD Resident in Medical Genetics, Pediatrics & Reproduction School of Veterinary Medicine University of Pennsylvania Room 4037 MJR VHUP 3800 Spruce Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-6051 215-898-8078 (phone/vm) 215-573-2162 (fax)

with the place I use - Dr. Dove/Companion Animal Clinic in Gainsville VA - it is $225 for every time collected/separated/frozen. That is the fee I then charge in addition to the stud fee, if someone wants frozen semen shipped - plus the fee for charging the container ($75) plus shipping. That fee is still cheaper than shipping the female to me and back in addition to stud fee. So it is a definate option for females that are far away from the chosen stud dog. oh, and yearly storage fee is $100 per stud dog, no matter how many straws. molly

SOunds like you are getting a better price than what I am getting at the VMTH. If I had the luxury of time to travel to VA I would likely do so. I plan to stop by Univ. of PA to "stow a few nuts" (LOL) from Carol on my way home from delivering a couple pups to Air Cargo at PHL tomorrow. Thanks for the info. SS

I'd strongly recommend that anyone in Pa avoid using the services of George Govette, CLONE, in Chester, PA.

Excuse me, that's Chester Springs, PA.

Can anyone explain to me why we have been using frozen AI in greyhounds and in many other breeds of livestock for many years with good success and it seems to be so difficult to do in GSD's. (Besides the fact that SV doesn't recognize...) I certainly understand the reasons for opting to use frozen or chilled and maybe some day I will need to utilize that but I would prefer to have the bitch live covered if at all possible. Marsha Seck

I found the AI process to be a multi step process with pitfalls along the way. The first is the insemination process. This is where the female is timed to ensure the sperm is insearted at the optimum time as frozen sperm does not have the longevity the fresh semen does. This involved a combination of progesterone and smear (estrogen) tests. Sounds pretty simple so far. The problem starts when there are different interpretations of the readings. The vets interpretation and the testing labs interpretation. The vet's interpretation was about a day and a half off of the labs interpretation which according to the lab had a wide margin of error. So the results you get best case can be off a couple days. Your next decision is to surgically implant the sperm or implant transcervical using whatever means the vet has to do this. Ask 5 vets which method is better and the response is split. Some prefer the surgical process where the ovaries are exposed and the sperm is injected in each horn. If the timing is right. It's a direct hit. This is a one time operation per breeding. Transcervical can be done twice if desired. In my case sperm was insearted using a scope to ensure the sperm went into the cervix. Timing is critical and there are logistics that interfere with the process. Vets are not always open when females need to be bred. Females are bred early or late to accomodate schedules. Results don't come back when they are supposed to. Tests casn't be taken when they need to. The shipping container has not been sent back by the last person that used it. There are others that mess up the process while you are half way through it. The final step is the finished product. I got three small litters from about a dozen breedings. Total of 4 puppies. Two born dead. One born with internals outside it's body and the other had a defective kidney. I can't help but think freezing sperm may do something to it in the long run. The females and males all went on to produce normal litters outside the frozen litters with no health issues.

Molly Thank you for that information. I have been racking my head tring to find one here in North Carolina. I was even thining about driving to the west coast to have it done So VA is a hella lot closer I am willing to pay the storage fee as earlier said timing is everything. I would rather pay for it early then not have it in time. Molly or anyone do you know what the cost is to have it put in? DOG1 I hear what you wrote and that is very sad but I would rather lose a litter then something happen to my female let is be airplane, getting out or ...... I can have another litter yes money lost but I still have my female and that is more important.