Ai On Maiden Bitch?

[Parkeyre]

As above, I'm wondering what the likeliness of sucess would be for a maiden bitch to become pregnant via Artificial Insemination?

Is it worth sending a maiden bitch interstate and back for an actual mating or can AI be just as possible in reproduction?

Which semen would have the most success also, or would it not matter(ie: fresh, chilled or frozen)?

Thankyou.

[Parkeyre]

Anyone able to help me out?

[t-time]

You will find that good repro specialists will say they have a GREAT success rate with AIs.

Maiden bitch or not shouldn't matter however imho, an AI should be considered "second best" if a natural mating is possible and achievable.

If your stud is interstate I would weigh up which is best for your bitch and secondly the costs involved.

Is your bitch ok being away from home?

Have you and the stud dog owner discussed her upkeep and who is going to pay - she will be there for a few weeks?

Will a stud fee be payable even if puppies are not produced via AI? (Sometimes you are paying for the semen alone)

Anyway, to answer your primary question, a maiden bitch is just as likely to achieve pregnancy via AI as any bitch.

ETA: Depends on the type of AI as to which semen will do the job - frozen can be surgically implanted at any time but if you are thinking of using chilled semen, there are timeframes involved with the shelf life of the semen which can be up to 10 hours (I think, from memory) so flying semen from state to state can damage semen making it nearly impossible to use chilled if you are too far away from the stud dog and vets who will inseminate.

Edited March 2, 2010 by t-time

[Parkeyre]

You will find that good repro specialists will say they have a GREAT success rate with AIs.

Maiden bitch or not shouldn't matter however imho, an AI should be considered "second best" if a natural mating is possible and achievable.

If your stud is interstate I would weigh up which is best for your bitch and secondly the costs involved.

Is your bitch ok being away from home?

Have you and the stud dog owner discussed her upkeep and who is going to pay - she will be there for a few weeks?

Will a stud fee be payable even if puppies are not produced via AI? (Sometimes you are paying for the semen alone)

Anyway, to answer your primary question, a maiden bitch is just as likely to achieve pregnancy via AI as any bitch.

Thanks. Lots to think about.

[t-time]

PS. EDITED And ADDED to my post Please read my post again

[Parkeyre]

PS. EDITED And ADDED to my post Please read my post again

thanks.

[oakeydoak1]

AI is definately doable but make sure that you have the blood tests done to make sure she is ovulating.

[tashnchief]

I used frozen semen via surgical ai on a maiden bitch and we had 11 pups However, a natural mating wasn't an option!

I have also used Chilled semen via surgical ai on another maiden bitch, we've had 2 goes and both times she reabsorbed. Her progesterone levels drop very quickly around the 4 wk mark. Part of it I feel is also psychological with some bitches, without an actual mating they do not recognise that they are or could be pregnant, I guess you can never rule out that this does then play a hormonal and physical role with the female falling and carrying a litter to term.

With the your options of how the semen is prepared, I would suppose nothing beats a natural mating or even a fresh semen ai. But even this depends on the quality of the dogs semen and getting the timing right with your female.....although you get more than one try at getting it right!!!!!!!! lol

Chilled semen, you will generally have about 48hrs to use it, so you have time for shipping etc although I have heard that with an extender it can last many days if refrigerated correctly. Can be shipped in a little esky.

Frozen semen has to be shipped in a dry vapour shipper, timing is also critical as once thawed it can have a maximum life span of about 12hrs. A huge factor is not only the timing of the bitch but also the quality of the semen post thaw. Not all dogs semen survives the freezing and thawing process. So unless you have a good post thaw analysis I wouldn't be using frozen.

You also need a good reproductive vet if you are going with Chilled or Frozen methods.

It is always good to look at all of your options, for me having large breeds it is often easier and cheaper to go with chilled or frozen semen options than put my bitch on a plane.

[Rebanne]

2 greyhound sisters, both maidens, mine using 20 yo frozen semen had 2 pups, the other, using semen about 5 -6 yo had 11, both sister's were part of a litter of 13 conceived using 10 yo frozen semen on a maiden bitch.

[Sandra777]

Frozen semen AI on a maiden bitch, transcervical insemination, conceived one puppy born by caesarian and died at 3 days (not through bad mothering). Natural mating with the same bitch, 5 pups born by caesarian, all survived, great mother. Not saying that it was because of the frozen semen the pup wasn't viable

I have done one fresh semen AI with a maiden bitch with a total useless dog, 1 puppy conceived, born by caesarian, she refused to mother it. Later had 4 pups by natural mating, born naturally, great mother.

AI's can work great too!

[Parkeyre]

Thankyou very much for your replies.

What about importing frozen semen from America?

Should it (and can it) be insured?

How many viles (I think that's what we're talking about here for containment of each collection) should one purchase when using on a maiden girl?

if multiple viles came over in the same shipping container, can they be kept frozen untill defrosted individually or must i use them all ASAP?

Thanks.

[Parkeyre]

Frozen semen AI on a maiden bitch, transcervical insemination, conceived one puppy born by caesarian and died at 3 days (not through bad mothering). Natural mating with the same bitch, 5 pups born by caesarian, all survived, great mother. Not saying that it was because of the frozen semen the pup wasn't viable

I have done one fresh semen AI with a maiden bitch with a total useless dog, 1 puppy conceived, born by caesarian, she refused to mother it. Later had 4 pups by natural mating, born naturally, great mother.

AI's can work great too!

How old was the semen for the single pup?

Did the bitch who rejected her pups ever come around? - Did she mother other puppies before hand or was it all new?

Just looking to hear stories, information, advice and thoughts. Thanks.

[sandgrubber]

I don't know why anyone considers AI second best . . . I have seen no evidence that there's a biological difference in the pups. I'm in WA and simply can't take the time to go to the Eastern states for a mating.

I wouldn't do frozen semen with a maiden unless there was a strong reason to do so . . . it's a fairly invasive procedure and not cheap . . . I'd prefer to do it on a bitch I already know is fertile and a good mother. I've done chilled semen with vaginal insertion on three maiden bitches . . . I got 10 pups each time.

Timing is critical. Progesterone testing is important. A good repro vet is important.

[Sandra777]

How old was the semen for the single pup?

The semen was perhaps 6 or 8 months old, frozen by Camelot system, from an 18 month old dog which had been proven at stud

ETA: semen was frozen in February and used in July so only 5 months sorry

Did the bitch who rejected her pups ever come around? - Did she mother other puppies before hand or was it all new?

She had one puppy. She never showed any interest in him, wasn't in the slightest bit aggressive, just completely disinterested. She produced no milk - even though she was c-sectioned 66 days after ovulation. She was a maiden bitch for this, so no not mothered before Her second litter she was a fabulous little mum (wasn't my choice to breed her the second time, I wouldn't have done so)

Edited March 2, 2010 by Sandra777

[mersonmalinois]

Thankyou very much for your replies.

What about importing frozen semen from America?

Should it (and can it) be insured?

How many viles (I think that's what we're talking about here for containment of each collection) should one purchase when using on a maiden girl?

if multiple viles came over in the same shipping container, can they be kept frozen untill defrosted individually or must i use them all ASAP?

Thanks.

I used to work as a repro tech and have sent shipping dewars of frozen semen to Oz. We always insured each shipment for loss.

Frozen semen can be kept in a cryogenic storage for thousands of years, but proper handling is critical on both ends. One vial (not "vile"), also called breeding unit, contains semen for one breeding. It's a decision you and the stud dog owner need to make as to how many breeding units you want shipped. It's very expensive to ship semen, but often other breeders get together and have a group shipment done.

Some vets use pellets which are contained in a vial, but others use straws. Each breeding unit, whether in pellets or straws, is formulated to contain the same amount of viable semen when brought to temperature.

[Mystiqview]

I have had matings take on day 21 and take on maiden first season girls and take. The reason I know, is I felt her about 35 days and felt pollups and had to abort the litter as she was too young. (Accidental mating).

I have had bitches tart (and I mean tart) for 5 days before standing.

Most of my girls have stood properly between days 14-18.

The last litter, I only had four 5 minute ties and one fresh AI. I had 11 puppies.

Get her fresh AI'd. You know then there is somthing in there. Otherwise, see if you can call in an experienced stud master to give you guys a hand

[t-time]

Just curious about pellets vs straws MM - how much of a difference does it make to the "handling" of thawing and or use? Is it trickier and more fiddly with pellets?

I don't know why anyone considers AI second best . . .

Sandgrubber, I did say it was my personal preference....I just ideally like to see a natural mating with as little human interaction as possible - simple and as Mother Nature intended.

I have been down the repro road with more than one bitch and those attempts have also been (reasonably) successful - I have nothing against AIs if there's a reason to do it such as fertility issues or large distances between your bitch and the stud dog etc but as a general preference, you can't beat a decent natural mating ;) No progesterone testing, no bloodwork, no driving to the vets for days on end, no waiting for results, no transport arrangements to be made, no enormous vet bills - just NO FUSS!!

I have seen no evidence that there's a biological difference in the pups

Nor have I....why would there be???

I'm in WA and simply can't take the time to go to the Eastern states for a mating.

And under those circumstances, I'd much rather AI as well!

AIs certainly have their place in breeding and I know that Phil Thomas (repro guru whom I have used) states that his surgical AI conception rate is much higher than natural mating!

[mersonmalinois]

Just curious about pellets vs straws MM - how much of a difference does it make to the "handling" of thawing and or use? Is it trickier and more fiddly with pellets?

An experienced repro vet & staff will have no problem working with either.

[sandgrubber]

Sandgrubber, I did say it was my personal preference....I just ideally like to see a natural mating with as little human interaction as possible - simple and as Mother Nature intended.

Agreed 100%. But for people who hit tyranny of distance on finding the ideal mate, AI is a godsend.

[Parkeyre]

Thankyou all again.

Can anyone recommend any good reading on AIs?

I hve a few books on canine redroduction that slightly tough on AI but not much.