Mating, Whelping and Litter Care

THE STUD NOSE KNOWS

Small animal vets spend more time learning about pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures than canine reproduction. Good vets take extra courses or self-educate if have a breeder clientele. Others treat breeders as though we had the mange!

Barbara J. Andrews / © TheDogPlace January 2010 - Many vets have bought into the animal rights spay/neuter agenda, gleefully slicing into a dog’s body to remove vital hormone-producing sex organs but refusing to crop ears or dock tails on the warped theory that that is cruel. Go figure.

Veterinary technology has invented tests to determine when the bitch is ovulating but there is no substitute for a working stud dog and an experienced owner who can read the dog. Illogically, many vets refute this, having been taught that ovulation tests are the only reliable ovulation diagnostics. I actually had a vet say it is foolhardy to rely on a dog and miss the optimum breeding dates! If your otherwise good vet can only spout vet school rhetoric, go elsewhere.

If the experienced stud dog says she’s not ready, trust him! When you think about it, who knows more about a dog, the dog or the human? Who can sniff out the estrus bitch from a half mile away and go straight to her doorstep? Certainly not the vet.

So for you who want to be successful breeders, here are the common sense basics.

Ovulation Timing: Let the stud court and encourage the bitch to optimize her estrus cycle. No matter what the vet says, day seventeen is not the end of the world. We have frequently mated bitches well past the eighteenth day and they presented litters to disbelieving owners. Had their vet’s professor been in control, the bitch would never have conceived.

Here’s but one example. Our Akita, Sachmo, was infallible. He was not at public stud but we made an exception for a vet who lived in Canada, had a 6 year old champion bitch that had never conceived, and who was willing to make the long drive because Sachmo was her dream dog. She took smears every day, and mercilessly, she called every day to report them to me! Finally she exclaimed “Freddie is ready!!!” She arrived late the next day but Sachmo said “not yet.” The vet insisted Freddie was ready. My husband said it would be at least two more days, probably longer.

The lady Vet had a fit but elected to stay over, no doubt to prove us wrong. She had brought her slides and microscope, with which she continued to harass us … and poor Freddie. Several days went by during which we decided she was the reason Freddie had never conceived! Her husband was also a vet and he was pressuring her to return. She became increasingly cantankerous and when on the fourth day, she said our stud was a dud, Bill graciously invited her to hit the road.

Stubbornly, she refused muttering about the cells having already cornified. Late the next day, she called from the motel, joyously repeating herself, “Freddie is ready!” Bill told her to come the next morning. Sachmo quickly tied the amorous Freddie. The vet left that very day; no second breeding. Freddie whelped a litter of six and we learned years later that was the only litter she ever had.

Getting the semen: It is best not to ship the bitch. If the stud dog is too far away, you can’t make the drive, don’t want to leave her, whatever - have the semen shipped to you instead of shipping the bitch to the semen! It’s far less costly and stressful for both of you than a round trip flight or a long trip.

Be aware though, chilled or frozen semen comes with its own package of potential problems. First and foremost, you loose the advantage of the stud dog’s assessment. Just as cattle ranchers use a teaser bull to mark ovulating cows, if you opt for shipped semen, you should find a working stud in your area and arrange to make use of his indisputable talent. The opportunity to use his keen senses and to evaluate the stay-at-home bitch’s reaction with him is more reliable than any ovulation test. The experienced stud dog owner can “read” the dogs and tell you when to have the semen shipped. Expect to pay the local stud owner for time and trouble. The stud dog will work for free!

Semen insemination: Most professionals prefer to inseminate the bitch by uterine implant which requires nearly the same degree of invasive surgery as performing a c-section, and costs as much. My friend, a nationally known theriogenologist prefers a process whereby the semen is placed in the uterus through an endoscopic vaginal procedure which eliminates surgical risk but conversely, could result in damage to the uterine wall.

Talk it over in advance with a recommended reproductive veterinarian. Do not assume proficiency because your vet is conscientious and capable on routine stuff. Ask around and locate a vet or university that deals with canine reproduction on a regular basis. Research and decide whether to use endoscopic or open uterine implantation well in advance of estrus. And by the way, a vet who is skilled in canine reproduction will also know of a dependable stud dog. If the Veterinarian doesn’t know, it’s a safe bet he or she is NOT a “reproductive expert.” Find someone else.

Prepping the bitch. Whether breeding naturally or by frozen semen, your bitch should be in optimum weight, not a bit of fat on her. Internal fat can reduce chances of proper fertilization. She should be in good muscle tone. Her coat should glisten with health. She should be happy and in a good mental state. She should be free of parasites, inside and out. Do not bathe her just before she meets the stud. He won’t appreciate it.

Vets usually suggest booster shots. Personally, I advise against it but then I have no financial stake in the matter. If she is being driven to the stud, she may need a current rabies certificate. If his semen is being shipped, it matters not. If you are sure that she hasn’t been exposed, you might skip the brucellosis test but if she is being taken to a stud dog, they will wisely insist on a certificate and so should you! It is a sensible precaution for both parties.

Good luck and remember, the nose knows!

Portions from ShowSight Magazine July 2009

http://www.thedogplace.org/Breeder-Exhibitor/Mating&Whelping/Stud-Nose-Knows-1001_Andrews.asp