Veterinary Andrology and Reproductive Techniques

SEMEN COLLECTION IN DOGS

• Semen is collected from dogs mainly for breeding soundness examination and for artificial insemination.
• Semen collected for insemination can be used fresh or cooled and shipped to another location.
• It is also frozen and can be used at any time. Another indication for collecting semen is to obtain prostatic fluid for culture or cytology in cases of suspected prostatic disease.
• In dogs the semen can be collected without the need for a teaser bitch, particularly if the male has had the experience of semen collection previously.
• However, use of a bitch will almost certainly expedite the procedure and allow more sperm to be harvested.
• Ideally the teaser should be in estrus, but considering the length of the canine cycle, that is often difficult to arrange, and a friendly, non-estrus bitch will often serve the purpose.
• If a bitch is used, it should be controlled with her rear quarters facing the male.

Canine semen is collected using

• Digital pressure and massage
• AV method

Digital pressure and massage

• Restrain the animal. Grasp the prepuce , push it back and expose the tip glans penis .
• Lock your fingers in a ring around the penis, essentially holding the bulbus glandis inside your fist.
• Apply pressure with forward and backward movement; in most cases, the male will begin to thrust back and forth.
• Slide the semen collection cup over the protruding penis and slide it over the penis, pushing the prepuce back over of the bulbus glandis.
• Watch for semen to flow in the collection tube. Most dogs stop thrusting as they begin to ejaculate.
• The ejaculation will come in three fractions. The first fraction is a clear fluid and has only few sperms.
• The second fraction will have the actual semen. The third fraction the will have only prostatic fluid. The different fractions have to be collected in different collection cups.
• Most failures arise because the male is shy or otherwise intimidated.
• It helps to perform the collection on a non-slip surface such as a carpet.
• If the male appears nervous or this is his first time, a teaser bitch may help considerably.

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Artificial vagina method

• The semen can be collected in artificial vagina also.
• The length of canine AV is 19-20 cm and diameter is 5 cm. The temperature of AV will be around 40-42 ⁰ C and lubrication is not needed.
• As for as possible do not allow the dogs to urinate and mark the area.
• This act of dog would result in urine in the ejaculate.
• In case the dog urinates and marks the area, a few drops of semen may be discarded on the ground in order to clean the passage of urethra of the urine residue.
• The dogs penis is stimulated by through the preputial sheath by manipulation.
• When the penis is erected out AV is slipped over it.

In long haired breeds it should be ensured that no hair comes in between the penis and artificial vagina.

• After semen collection, the artificial vagina is gently removed because the dog’s penis remains engorged.
• If the AV is not removed in a gentle way there may be damage to the superficial cells, which may be painful and even cause infection and lack of subsequent libido.

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