I spent some most interesting time a few weeks ago in Italy with Ludowica Salamon, a young veterinarian having great success with frozen semen and keeping abreast of the comparatively new fibre optic technique for insemination, which I understand is also available in New Zealand.Our vet is doing the same, and will introduce it once his current success rate with surgical insemination is consistently matched by fibre-optics.
You may elect to do your insemination by pipette as opposed to a surgical implant. In this case the preferred method is trans cervical, whereby particular catheters are used by which the cervix can be crossed in order to place the sperm in the womb rather than simply into the vagina.When the bitch is inseminated only into the vagina via a pipette, the success rate is about 52%, whereas when the sperm are lodged in the uterus, the percentage rises and your chances are therefore improved. On an average, you r veterinarian will then use 12 to 18 straws. Two or three inseminations are normally carried out, every 24 hours, at a rate of 4 to 6 straws.
With our currently preferred method, that of surgical insemination, the bitch is lightly anaesthetised for a few minutes whilst a small mid-line incision is made, the uterus is lifted out and the semen injected centrally into both horns and then gently ma ssaged manually into the fallopian tubes and ovaries.As always with anaesthetics given to sighthounds, care must always be taken and our vet uses gas. The bitch wakes up soon after and you take her home to sweat out the next 21 days - you that is, not the bitch who could of course not care less that she might be about to make history - until it is time to see if she has conceived.
Sometimes veterinarians do one insemination by surgical implant and use additional semen for a second insemination by the conventional pipette method. This would be logical where - for example - you either have vast amounts of semen at your disposal and c an afford to be extravagant, or alternatively you have only managed to get a total of six or seven straws. With the latter, you would then have to decide a) to try it all at once but by employing both methods on a single individual on different days, or b) use up four by surgical implant on one bitch and three on another at a later date. We are in exactly this position with the remaining semen from one of our precious long-deceased imports.
NOW LET US LOOK AT SOME ETHICS
So far working with frozen semen has been very much on a breeder to breeder basis and not really conducted at a commercial level. Arrangements have been rather casual, and while a few grumbles have been heard, nothing dramatic other than reports of defect ive semen being shipped seems to have occurred. However, as we have said, times may be changing.
Firstly the question of how much semen a buyer is entitled to needs to be addressed.
We have said an average shipment of 20 straws is the accepted practice, so what then constitutes a "fair thing" when you are asked to supply semen or decide to import some for your bloodlines?
In practice, it seems that most breeders - owners of stud dogs and of potential dams - who are prepared to go through the time, money and hassle of AI by frozen semen do all this because they want the breed to benefit from the dissemination and distributi on of genetic material which would not be available otherwise.
Most stud dog owners seem to be happy to agree that provided the actual "up front" expenses of collection, freight, Governing Canine Body registrations etc are paid in advance, they are prepared to allow unlimited access to whatever quantity is shipped.
Some consider these expenses as being equal to a stud fee, others ask for one stud fee to be paid at the same time the initial costs. Some owners request that further stud fees be paid each time a successful pregnancy results. Just be sure that you both a gree to whichever is to be the arrangement, and preferably do this in writing so that both parties are protected.
Normally, when you pay a stud fee for a natural mating, most breeders will give you two matings TO THE SAME BITCH IN THE SAME SEASON, FOR THAT FEE. Many will offer a "free return" should the bitch fail to conceive, but of course, they are under no obligat ion to do so. Extended to frozen semen, this would equate to two attempts with one bitch (i.e. should she miss the first time) and the option to then try another bitch if unsuccessful. In practice, few people would try a second time with a bitch who has f ailed to conceive to frozen semen as we have alredy told you that some bitches simply fail for no apparent reason. Most breeders would prefer to select another bitch for the "free return".
As opposed to the expenses with natural matings, the importer of frozen semen has already paid a considerable amount for up-front costs, on average this will be the equivalent of a second stud fee, and each surgical insemination will costs around the same amount again So it really comes down to whether the stud dog owner is supplying semen in order to earn money or because they genuinely wish to see their dog used somewhere else in the world, and as we have said, provided of course that they are not out of pocket themselves, most are happy for the shipment of semen to be used as their client deems necessary.
Having dealt with potential usage, we need to look at quantity. With good management when a dog is presented for a collection and he is prolific, he will provide more than enough semen for use in a frozen semen programme. The owner of the sire may then de cide to freeze any additional semen for their own future use.
The amount of straws to be sent, depending of course on the quality and volume of the collection, is also a matter which should be clearly agreed to between the parties before the semen is shipped. Very often - especially if both owners are really keen to see a successful result - they agree that the entire collection will be sent so that plenty of semen is available at its destination to cover all the varied contingencies which can result in failure to get puppies despite every one's best efforts. For i nstance, if a live litter is born but does not reach maturity, there needs to be agreement as to whether that constitutes a litter as such.
Wendye Slatyer July 97
Copyright(c) 1997
Not to be reproduced without written permission of the author.
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