Greyhound Reproduction.

Planning The Mating

One of the biggest benefits of frozen semen is the ability to plan the mating.  Storing semen with Sandown Veterinary Clinic ensures you have the sire of your choice available and that your bitch avoids the stress of interstate travel. 

When you purchase the frozen semen, the stud master or owner of the semen should provide both the purchaser and the storage facility with a Transfer of Ownership Form (F10).Within 14 days GRV regulations stipulate that the purchaser to lodge this form and the appropriate fees with:

Greyhounds Australasia

P.O.Box 239 Springvale 3171.
Ph: 03 9548 3500
Fax: 03 9548 3488

Pink Card

Please be proactive in ensuring any brood bitch you are considering for breeding complies with the following standards:

Apply for the pink card.
Breeding facilities are not authorised to implant brood bitches that do not have a current pink card.

Ensure your brood bitch is currently vaccinated (C5).
Live vaccines are not advised to be given once your bitch is in season as it may affect her chances of becoming pregnant.

Worm your brood bitches every 3 months (not compulsory).

Know her breeding history

  • If she has whelped 3 litters, she will need a vet check for an exemption prior to the next mating.

  • A brood bitch is only permitted to whelp a maximum of 2 litters in an 18 month period without prior clearance. 

  • Brood bitches over 8 years of age may be required further clearance prior to being mated.

Semen Storage

Semen can be stored at the clinic at a rate of $4.00/vial or breeding unit/month, this is billed quarterly in advance ($12/quarter). If the semen is sold, transferred or inseminated within the billed period, a credit will be arranged. 

Preparing The Bitch

There are several things you can do to enhance the success of your breeding investment.

  1. A thyroid test taken several months before your bitch comes in season can indicate if she is thyroid deficient.  Deficiency of this hormone can stop your bitch coming into season and lower both the litter size and even the chance of a successful pregnancy.  Low thyroid levels can be remedied by the correct dose of medication as indicated by the test.

  2. The bitch should present at the clinic in good condition - a happy, healthy bitch is a better candidate for surgery and a trouble-free pregnancy.  She should be clean and free from parasites (worms and fleas).  If a brood bitch is not wormed prior to coming into season, she should be wormed with a good quality wormer when she is 6 weeks pregnant.  In the best interest of the bitch and our other patients, clinic staff will wash unclean bitches and treat parasites at the owner’s expense.

  3. Vaccinations develop antibodies to serious canine diseases and the protection of these antibodies is extended to newborn pups through breast milk.  Your brood bitch’s vaccines must be up to date as per GRV guidelines.

  4.  Bitches over 8 years old can represent an increased challenge. The fertility of an older bitch may have declined.  Your veterinarian can discuss options available to enhance her chance of success.  Her anesthetic risks are also slightly increased.  A blood test prior to surgery may be recommended. Intravenous fluid therapy is recommended to help support her during surgery – all bitches over 6 years of age are required to have fluid therapy.

  5. Please be aware that a bitch straight off the track is less likely to conceive and produce a large healthy litter than a bitch that has been retired for at least 6 months and has put on some condition.

When Your Bitch Comes In Season…

Pre-mating Swab

Arrange a Pre-mating Swab (culture and sensitivity test)
If the bitch does have an infection she may need several days of antibiotics treatment before insemination.

What is a pre mating swab?
Using a sterile swab stick, a sample of the cells from your bitch’s vagina is taken and smeared on an agar plate. A multiple antibiotic sensitivity ring is then placed on top. This is incubated for 48 hours to allow for any bacteria to grow. Any bacterial growth will avoid the antibiotics to which it is ‘sensitive’ and we then know which antibiotic is most effective in the treatment of her infection.

Why do I need to test the bitch when she first comes in season?
The earlier your bitch is tested, the earlier she can receive treatment - it is not ideal to be treating the bitch for an infection when mating is imminent as it may affect the pregnancy.

Why can’t I just give the bitch a course of antibiotics? 
Giving a course of antibiotics to a bitch without a swab could mean that the antibiotic chosen has no effect on the bacteria present. If no bacteria is present, the bitch has taken unnecessary medication. Furthermore, incorrect use of antibiotics contributes to the creation of ‘resistant bugs’. In a recent study, 75% of bitch’s swabbed after a course of antibiotics were still carrying an infection as the correct antibiotic was not used.

Why is pre mating swab vital?
An untreated or improperly treated infection can seriously affect the health of both the bitch and her pups. It can prevent the bitch becoming pregnant, decrease the litter size and even cause the bitch to abort the pregnancy. Puppies may become ill due to exposure to the infection during whelping.

Progesterone testing

Progesterone testing is usually commenced Day 8.  A blood sample must be taken at the clinic between 9am - 9.30am to ensure we make the early pathology courier and that results are available by approximately 1pm. We will contact you with results and advise you when the next test should be taken. A bitch should not be fed before the test each morning and until the results indicate that she does not need surgery.

What is progesterone? 
Progesterone is a hormone produced during a fertile cycle. A rise in progesterone levels indicates when a bitch is ovulating and when hormone levels are optimum for conception.

When should I start testing earlier?
If there is any doubt about when your bitch’s season began (as is common with bitches from large farms) or if her past history indicates that she has been successfully mated prior to day 8, progesterone testing should be commenced earlier.

How do I know what my bitch’s result is?
Clinic staff will contact you with results and to advise when a follow up test is required. If you have not heard from us by 2pm, please contact the clinic as we may be experiencing delays or having difficulty contacting you.

How many tests may my bitch need? 
While each bitch is different, a minimum of 3-5 tests is usually required. A bitch with a long cycle may require more.

Does my bitch need to stay in the clinic during testing?
In the early stages of her cycle, a bitch will have a blood sample taken and then she can go home. After hormone readings reach approximately 15 nmol/L she may be admitted as a day patient or to board in the hospital. This allows the bitch to be on site when results indicate that she is ready for surgery.

Can I begin testing at my local vet clinic if I live a distance away? 
Yes, we encourage owners to keep the bitch in a familiar environment for as long as it is practical.  However, it is important that we are contacted each day with the test results– please check with your vet – as this is important for consistency of result.  As timing is crucial, Sandown Veterinary Clinic requests that once the results are over 15nmol/L, the bitch is bought to our clinic for testing through our lab to confirm accuracy.  We will guide you as to the scheduling of the next test or requirements for admission to the clinic.

Paperwork

When first presenting at the clinic with your bitch, you will need to:

  • Produce a copy of the brood bitch’s  Registration Papers

  •  A DNA test can be organised through Greyhounds Australasia  on 039548 3500.  We can collect the kit from them at your request and conduct the test here.

  • Sign a Surgical Consent Form and an Implant Authority Form

  • Produce a copy of the Transfer of Ownership for the semen. (SVC may already have).

Boarding

Sandown Veterinary Clinic is a hospital facility not a breeding farm and therefore we have limited ability to board bitches. We have secure roomy race-style kennels for the comfort of breeding bitches. We feed premium Advance Diet. This may be a very stressful time for bitches as they are in an unfamiliar environment, being fasted, blood-tested but every effort is made by staff to ease the situation. We try to reserve accommodation for bitches that are close to mating or from a distance away. The cost of boarding is approx $27 (incl. GST) / night ( 2 nights are included in our package).