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INDEX OF ARTICLES

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TIPS FOR BREEDING SUCCESS

Successful dog breeding is a challenge. Breeding success is achieved through diligent attention to details, medical knowledge, good nutrition and and a willingness to learn about your breed.  It matters little if you are a first time breeder or an experienced and well-known kennel operator... a failed breeding or the loss of a litter can be a huge disappointment. And it isn't just the loss of potential financial return that will get you down because most breeders do what they do for the emotional returns. I can't count the times during thirty years of practice where a breeder has stated "we really need this breeding" and for various and sometimes obscure reasons the breeding failed; and my next client will present a dog that was mismated and full of unwanted pups. (It's almost as if the more the pups are desired the less chance there is of having them!) Let's explore just a few of the many reasons why breeding may not be successful. We're only going to touch on the highlights because reproductive physiology is a subject of Masters Degree proportions!

Important Note from Dr. Dunn:   Freedom to choose... it surely is your right to breed your dog or cat.  Your own good judgment  and our free society allow you to breed your pet at any time and as often as you wish.  I and many others support that freedom.  Nevertheless, there are thousands of Americans who devote their lives to caring for and finding homes for abandoned and orphaned dogs and cats.  Some of these hard working people have asked ThePetCenter to remind potential breeders that there can be a silent, unpleasant side to the breeding activity.  To honor those hard working people who care for abandoned pets, I would like you to consider just a few important effects of irresponsible breeding of pets.  You have the freedom of choice... please be a responsible pet owner. From the animal shelter perspective: If you plan to breed your dog or cat, please consider a few very important issues before you make a final determination to add more pets to a population that is presently too large for all the individual animals to have a good home.  It is interesting to note that if you do choose to breed your dog or cat and you do have good homes waiting, those homes probably will not be an available home for an abandoned or orphaned animal that waits to be adopted, sometimes endlessly, in a local shelter or pound.   It has been estimated that in six short years one female dog and her offspring could be the source of 50,000 puppies. In seven years a female cat could be responsible for over 350,000 kittens.  The number of cats and dogs entering shelters annually is about 9 million... and an estimated 4 to 6 million dogs and cats are euthanized in America's 5 thousand animal shelters each year.

IMPROVING BREEDING SUCCESS
The first topic that must be presented is that of the value of keeping good records on each dog, male and female, that may be involved in breeding activities. There are few things more important in resolving breeding difficulties than knowing the bitch's estrus cycle and medical history. Start each female dog with it's own history folder and keep track of dates and noticeable changes in the bitch's signs of heat, and note any medical or behavioral changes as well. And don't underestimate the value of a close working relationship with a veterinarian who truly understands your philosophy and goals for breeding and who will do whatever it takes to assist in your success.

IN THE MALE
Reproductive problems in male dogs seem to be less complicated than in female canines but when they do occur can be difficult to correct. The short list on male dog reproduction aberrations usually relates to low sperm production or function, anatomical defects of the reproductive organs, or infections of the reproductive tract. Hormonal problems in the male dog seem to be less common in the failed breeding equation than in the female. Nevertheless, whenever a male dog seems uninterested in the breeding activity, Hypothyroidism needs to be checked out. As well, the veterinarian has access to laboratories that can evaluate testosterone levels and checking testosterone should be considered whenever a male seems uninterested in mating with a willing female.

Your veterinarian can check for Brucellosis, prostate infections, anatomical abnormalities such as adhesions at the penis, and arthritis of the spine or hips. Arthritis pain can inhibit the dog's ability to mount the female. On occasion, too, there will be personality factors that dissuade the male from performing properly, and that means an evaluation of a male dog's submissive status with the female is important. A young male, having once been intimidated by a dominant bitch, may forever be reluctant to mount any female.

IN THE FEMALE
Mike Freeman, DVM, of Hamilton, Texas, states that the number one cause of failed breeding is improper timing of the mating. He states that a bitch may be in standing heat for highly variable lengths of time; therefore, without actually measuring hormonal changes in the bitch, one can only guess when she is fertile. And if the breeding takes place when the ovulation is delayed the probability of conception from that breeding decreases. "Hormone levels must be evaluated," states Freeman, "and there are a number of ways for the practitioner to test hormone levels in order to pinpoint the best time to breed the dogs. The fact that the bitch will stand for the stud is not, by itself, a good determiner of the optimum timing of a breeding, nor can one rely on vaginal cytology to be your only guide".

Freeman continues, "Failure to fully evaluate the male probably is the second most common reason for failed breedings. A thorough physical exam of the male, microscopic semen evaluation for proper numbers, structure and function of the sperm and assessment for presence of bacterial contamination are all vital and often overlooked parameters that impact breeding success." Freeman adds that occasionally, even when conception does occur, the developing embryos arrive at a critical time in development when they must attach to the uterine wall. This occurs about nineteen days after fertilization and is called nidation. Nidation is highly influenced by circulating levels of progesterone. Any interruption of normal progesterone levels could result in the embryo not attaching to the uterine wall. "Reabsorption of these minute embryos due to lack of nidation will lead the dog owner to believe that conception did not occur when in fact it did. But the growing embryos failed to attach to the uterine wall and lost their ability to obtain nutrients and therefore they simply do not survive. So, again, when there are breeding failures, hormonal profiles before and after breeding can shed light on a breeding dysfunction".

The Synbiotics Corporation of San Diego, California produces one of the most useful tools readily available to veterinarians and breeders for establishing optimum timing of the breeding. Called the ICG Status-LH test, this simple device reads serum levels of LH, Luteinizing Hormone. According to the company, determining when the sudden increase in LH levels in the bitch's blood occurs (called the LH surge) is the most accurate diagnostic tool for timing breeding. Since ovulation occurs two days after the LH surge, and the released eggs need two to three days to become "sperm friendly" and ready for fertilization, the most fertile time for the bitch to conceive is four to seven days after the LH surge. Check with your veterinarian because newer and more accurate tests are being developed and at any time a better or different method for determining the timing of breeding may be available.

Utilizing this kind of test and taking advantage of other hormone assays, veterinarians today have far more diagnostic tools available to assist a breeder in establishing optimum timing for breeding. Knowing the optimum time to breed will help avoid what some experts say is the most common impediment to breeding success. Keeping thorough and accurate records on all dogs involved in breeding activities, having a thorough physical examination performed, and testing hormone levels to predict the best "time to breed" all play a role if you seek consistent and rewarding breeding success.

Copying or reprinting of this material for your breed club newsletter or website may be done only with verifiable permission.
Contact Dr. Dunn for details.