As a leader in Florida’s pet reproduction community, Highland Pet Hospital offers semen collection, analysis and storage services for your breeding needs. Semen collection and analysis is often overlooked by novice breeders in terms of its importance in the breeding process. The way that your stud’s semen is collected can play a major role in the amount of the semen collected- as well as the quality of the sample. Our years of experience in collecting semen will ensure that your stud’s sample is of the highest quality and handled with the best care.
What are we looking for when we evaluate the semen?
Semen has three fractions or parts. The first fraction of the ejaculate, called the pre-sperm fraction, ranges in volume from 0.1 to 1.0 ml. The second part is the sperm-rich fraction, which is generally from 0.1 to 6 ml, depending on the size and breed of the dog. The third fraction is the prostatic fluid, which normally ranges from 1.0 to 20.0 ml.
A good semen evaluation will give confidence to breeders that your stud will be able to successfully impregnate the female. There are numerous factors that can degrade your stud’s semen, and we will look closely at all of these factors. Evaluation of a semen sample includes assessment of color; sperm motility, concentration, and morphology; and, the presence of other cells or bacteria.
Color: Healthy canine semen should be pearly white or translucent in color. Yellow semen indicates urine contamination, and urine is toxic to sperm. Red discoloration indicates that blood is present either from trauma, prostate problems or infection.
Sperm Motility: Since sperm have to be able to travel up the bitch's reproductive tract toward her eggs, the measure of how well sperm are moving and in what direction is important. A reading of at least 70% is considered average.
Concentration: A minimum of 200 million progressively motile sperm are required for a single breeding dose.
Morphology: Morphology is the evaluation of the structure of the individual sperm. Every ejaculate will contain between 5 and 15% abnormally shaped sperm. To be considered normal, a minimum of 80% of the sperm should have normal morphology. Higher levels of abnormal sperm may be an indication that an injury has occurred to the testicle.
Other cells or bacteria: The final consideration is to look for cells and bacteria in the semen sample. Normally the vast majority of the cells in an ejaculate should be sperm. When we see increased red blood cells, white blood cells, or bacteria; this could indicate a variety of conditions in the dog that will affect his fertility.
Not all dogs meet the criteria we are looking for. If your stud doesn’t meet these criteria, we can discuss possible factors that lead to a less than ideal evaluation. Some of these factors may be medications, environmental factors and more. If we identify an issue, we can take corrective action and re-test your stud’s semen- usually within about 2 months.