Getting your Dam Bred and Raising Healthy Puppies

1
Getting your Dam Bred and Raising Healthy Puppies

• By Alice Stewart
• DVM Class of 2009
• Purdue University

2

• Male reproductive exam
• Female hormone physiology and timing breeding
• A/I options
• Getting comfortable with the C-section
• Neonatal care

3
Case

• Daisy, 5 year old female, one previous litter,
  spent past year in the show circuit.
• Duke, 6 year old proven male
• Daisy is in heat, interested in male
• Put the two together and she stood for Duke.
• Ultrasound examination 25 days laterno puppies

4
Reasons a Female Misses

• Poor semen quality
• Did she ovulate?
• Incorrect timing
• Anatomical obstruction
• Implantation
• Resorption

5
Poor Semen Quality

• Physical exam and reproductive exam of male
• Complete physical exam
• Check penis
• Testicles texture of firm grapes
• Collecting the male
• Seasoned/nice female, positive experience, same
  breed
• Kit plastic bag with tube
• Give him warning, expose penis behind the bulbs,
  start thrusting and hold on

6
Semen

• 3 Fractions
• First fraction is clear
• Second fraction SPERM cloudy
• Thrid fraction prostatic clear
• Spin down the collection
• Sperm will be on bottomthis is desired!
• Add extender and use as desired

7
Evaluation

• 10 million/lb of body weight
• White/cloudy
• 80 or greater motility
• pH 6.2 6.6
• Less then 20 abnormalities
• Bent tails, two heads, etc

http//www.drugs.com/vet/jorvet-j-326s-live-dead-s
emen-stain.html
8
Uses

• Frozen
• TCI/Surgical
• Preservation of genetic material not limited by
  health of male.
• International shipping/breeding
• Costs of storing semen
• Semen belongs to the owner at time of collection
• Good forever
• Lives 1 day after warming

• Fresh
• Vaginal AI/TCI/Surgical
• No cost for shipping or storing
• Need male and dam present at same time
• Lives 4-5 days
• Fresh Chilled
• Vaginal AI/TCI/Surgical
• Ship semen not the bitch
• Allows breeding when male not available
• Good for 1 week
• Lives 2-3 days after warming
• Costs of shipping semen

9
??Questions about the male??
http//snapshot.parade.com/main.php?g2_viewcore.D
ownloadItemg2_itemId195808g2_serialNumber3
10
The Bitch

• Did she ovulate?
• Incorrect timing
• Anatomical obstruction
• Implantation
• Resorption

11
Important Hormones

• Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and
  Luteinizing Hormone (LH) from the pituitary
• Estrogen and Progesterone from the ovary
• Follicle produces an increase in estrogen and is
  known as proestrus. You will see physical
  changes and bleeding.
• Cells that line the follicle produce an increase
  in Progesterone (2-3 ng) then there is an
  increase in LH.

• Elevated LH is when the female will start
  standing, flagging, and acting interested in the
  male.
• Ovulation occurs about 48 hours after the
  increase in LH. Progesterone increases above
  5ng.
• Due date is 63 days from this rise.
• There is another division of the ova 48 hours
  post ovulation.

12
Graph of hormones
Estrogen
LH
13

• Litter Size

• Breeding Time

• Timing
• Correct breeding time
• Endometrial health
• Cysts, adhesions, etc
• Genetics
• Inbreeding decreases litter size by 25

• Signs
• standing, flagging, color of discharge, etc
• Estrogen influence with vaginal swabs
• REMEMBER this is NOT ovulation
• LH spike
• Daily and expensive
• Progesterone
• Above 5 ng OVULATION
• Test every 2-3 days

14
?? Questions about the female??
http//www.engbulldogs.com/dressedup2.JPG
15
Time to Breed

• Natural
• Vaginal insemination
• Semen deposited in vaginal vault and close to
  cervix
• Feather to stimulate tie
• Transcervical insemination (TCI)
• Surgical

16
63 days later
17
3 Stages of Labor

• Stage 1
• Cervical dilation
• Minimal external contractions
• Drop in progesterone
• Drop in temperature
• 6 24 hours
• Nesting, shivering, not eating, panting, hiding

18
Labor Continued

• Stage 2
• Total cervical dilation
• Active labor
• 5-30 minutes
• Alternates with stage 3

• Stage 3
• Placenta is passed
• 15 20 minutes
• Ends with last puppy born

19
Success and Survival

• Mortality
• Dystocia/ prolonged labor/ decreased oxygen while
  in the birth canal
• Once placenta pulls away, puppy needs oxygen and
  to be delivered.
• Physiologic Issues
• Premature
• Environmental Factors
• Overheating is common
• Ideal is 70-72 F
• Genetics
• DNA testing

20
Mortality Continued

• Infectious Disease
• Parvo and Herpes virus important cause around 7
  to 21 days. If having neonatal mortality, look
  for another cause.
• Behavioral
• As much as we try, puppies get stepped or laid
  on.
• Ensure full term 63 days from OVULATION!

21
Fetal Risks

• Elevated temperature of dam after birth of pups
  and no pup within past 3-4 hours
• Weak/Ill dam
• Ultrasound
• Slow heart rate
• Radiographs
• soft spot on head caved in
• Overdue?
• gt 65 days start to get worried.

• Female has been in labor, delivered puppies but
  is weak with non-productive contractions
• Response to oxytocin
• gt 3 hours without puppy
• 2U/10lbs (0.10mL) pre-bred weight
• Wait 20 min. if no response give another
• If still no response C-section

22
Fetal Risks

• Previous history of difficult labor
• Consider assisted delivery or C-section
• Dam straining and pushing
• No Oxytocin at this time
• Palpate with gloved finger
• Grab head or back legs and stabilize through
  contractions
• Rectally palpate with vaginal

• Vaginal Discharge
• Dark red/brown/green is a warning sign
• Placenta is separating and puppies are in danger
• Ultrasound
• Stage 2 gt 60 minutes with no puppies
• Stage 3 gt 180 minutes with no placenta

23
Cesarean Section

• Greatest loss is due to prolonged labor with no
  oxygen
• Consider if
• Pelvic problems
• No delivery/oversized pups/malpositioned
• Uterine inertia
• Tired uterus
• Fetal Death
• Color of vaginal discharge
• Convenience
• Timing!!!

24
Timing of C-Section

• Active labor
• Planned
• Questionable breeding date
• Colostrum present with bitch
• Drop in body temperature
• 63 days from rise in Progesterone/ovulation
• Vaginal relaxation
• Serum progesterone lt 2.5ng
• 3-3.5ng not going to last another 24 hours so ok
  to proceed

25
Happy Birthday!

• Dont fling the puppies!
• Aspirate the fluid out with bulb syringe
• Clearing out the airways
• Amnion fluid great nutrition
• Heart rate around 200
• Supplement oxygen if needed
• Cut cord tie off
• Mom bites/rips cord ok to leave to heal
• Oxytocin after whelping for uterine involution
• Pain control NO non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
  drugs (NSAIDs)