How can I tell if my female dog is pregnant? Miranda shares dog pregnancy signs to look for, both physical and behavioral:
The best way to diagnosis a dog pregnancy is always with abdominal ultrasound which typically involves a visit to your veterinarian. For breeders that would like to learn to do this at home we do offer a wonderful option from Pet Tech Solutions.
/products/vis-scan-x-ultrasound-system
The reason I like ultrasound the best is I can get an estimation of not only the size of the litter, but how strong the puppies look and if it looks like there are any abnormal puppies in the litter. I have personally had puppies on the ultrasound that are not viable. The draw back to the Relaxin Blood tests is they will still be positive until the the placentas are gone.
Another way you can test for Pregnancy is Relaxin Blood tests. This is most reliably tested for starting 28 days past Ovulation ( not breeding)
We offer two different Relaxin Tests
The first one is done at home using a lancet under their lip.
/products/bellylabs-pregnancy-test
The other is a basic relaxin blood test, however, this involves a blood draw and you will need to have a centrifuge to spin the blood down.
BUT REMEMBER IT RELAXIN PRESENT DOES NOT INDICATE A HEALTHY PREGNANCY. It just tells you that there are potential embryos. A see a lot of people say they had false positives. And as someone that uses both relaxin and ultrasound I can honestly say I think more times than not it was a reabsorbed pregnancy unfortunately.
The typical dog pregnancy lasts 63 days, plus or minus 48 hours. That means she will be whelping before you know it! We recommend using our Whelping Kits and Supplies to help you feel confident that you have all the whelping supplies you will need when the time comes for her to deliver her litter.
(some content taken from Dr.Marty Greer Revival Animal Health)
Most of us do well with managing moms at birth, but we neglect to manage puppies and kittens after birth. One commonly missed and very important management tool is umbilical cord care. If the kitten or puppy’s umbilical cord is not cared for properly, it can lead to navel infection. Navel infection can lead to joint issues, hernias, sick or dead puppies and kittens from sepsis.
The umbilical cord is a straight shot to the bloodstream. Infection of the navel or umbilicus leads to circulating bacteria in the blood. These bacteria get filtered out by the fine vessels of the body mainly in the joint cartilage, tail and toes. When this happens, the tip of the tail or a toe often loses circulation, the hair falls off, and the tip of the tail or toe falls off. All of these issues can be prevented if we take steps to avoid navel infection after birth.
Once the baby is on the ground and nursing, treat the umbilicus with a strong iodine such as Breeder’s Edge® Clean Cut™ Iodine.This Iodine bottle is designed for quick and easy care for each litter.
This will cause the umbilicus to dry up quickly, preventing infection and the formation of small umbilical hernias in breeds that are prone to them. If we dry up the umbilical effectively, we scar down the umbilicus, blocking infection from entering the body. This scar tissue strengthens the weak area around the umbilical and a hernia is prevented. In hernia-prone breeds, it is wise to retreat the umbilical once a day until day three or the cord falls off to make sure it scars down effectively.
Over-cleaning of the umbilical cord by mom happens in both kittens and puppies. Over-cleaning can lead to mom chewing into the skin and the intestine coming out. By treating the umbilical, we get mom to leave the umbilical alone because she doesn’t like the taste. This will usually prevent belly wall damage and the intestine from coming out.
On moms prone to over-cleaning, using a umbilical clamp after birth prevents her from chewing into the skin. The clamp falls off with the umbilical cord by day three to five and the problem is prevented. These clamps also work well with C-section puppies to be sure we don’t have any issues.
If mom over-cleans and the intestine starts showing it is time for a vet visit, suturing the belly wall closed is the only treatment and the sooner, the better. The key is to get it closed before the intestine dries out and secondary damage occurs.
Getting babies on the ground is great, but do not stop there. Managing the open umbilical cord by cutting it using an umbilical scissors to ½ inch, soaking it with Iodine, and then clamping it will ensure that the umbilical cord drops off when it should. We have put all of theses products together for you in our Cord Care Bundle.
If you have any further questions please call The Breeders Cupboard Team @ 587-988-2406
(some content taken from Dr.Marty Greer Revival Animal Health)
In mammals such as dogs, calcium allows the uterine muscle to slide past and shorten, resulting in effective uterine contraction. Low blood calcium leads to ineffective contractions and nervousness, often resulting in puppy loss.
If you supplement calcium before whelping, you shut down the pregnant dog’s ability to fine tune the minute-by-minute demand needed for whelping and milk production. By staying away from calcium supplements pre-whelping, you can let her gear up for the needs of whelping and milking and help prevent calcium issues such as eclampsia or milk fever.
Once she’s in labor, supplementation is okay – calcium – in fact, supplemented births are desirable. Fast-absorbing calcium like Breeder’s Edge® Oral Cal Plus Gel used several times during the birthing process helps keep blood calcium levels up. The pregnant dog will fine tune from the bone. Since she won’t be eating, a small amount of gel orally is the only choice. We also have Dogzymes Whelping Calcium Paste.
The pregnant dog that has had calcium issues in the past or is at a high risk for repeat eclampsia needs to be managed closely. Use Oral Cal Plus if you are seeing signs of ineffective labor, nervousness or muscle twitching, quickly give Oral Cal Plus orally.
Calcium for Dogs and Cats in Labor
Yes. You can give a whelping dog too much calcium, but it is hard to, particularly when you are giving it short term during lactation. When dosing, consider the amount of calcium, form of calcium, as well as the magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin D3 levels in the supplement.
Injectable calcium gluconate 10% provides the fastest onset of action. Higher concentrations of calcium injectable products are dangerous and should not be used. During labor, you can use either injectable 10% calcium gluconate or Breeder’s Edge® Oral Cal Plus Gel for the most prompt response. Products such as Tums® do not deliver enough calcium and phosphorus fast enough to use in place of Oral Cal Plus Gel. Each Tums® contains 200 mg of calcium carbonate.
We do not recommend the use of calcium supplements during pregnancy – start only at the start of labor. Starting calcium prior to the onset of labor will suppress the dam’s ability to move calcium from her bones during labor and lactation, causing more harm than good.
They now recommend at the first sign of labor ( active contractions), start oral calcium gel. One cc (ml) contains 200 mg of calcium as calcium carbonate, calcium lactate and calcium ascorbate and 100 IU of Vitamin D3. Large dogs can receive 2 cc and small dogs can receive 1 cc at the start of labor and this can be repeated after the delivery of each puppy. However, I personally prefer to wait until after the first puppy or active pushing.
Post-whelping, all high risk moms and heavy milkers should get calcium supplements until weaning. Calcium supplements for nursing dogs such as Breeder’s Edge® Oral Cal Plus Powder a great source of calcium for dogs after giving birth. Breeder’s Edge® Oral Cal Plus Powder has both calcium and phosphorus, which is needed for effective absorption. Giving only calcium actually decreases absorption.
After all the puppies and placentas are delivered, you can change to the oral calcium powder or tablets to support her during lactation. Small females with large litters particularly need oral calcium supplementation to avoid eclampsia, a life-threatening medical condition. Calcium supplementation should be continued until puppy weaning.
Breeder’s Edge® Oral Cal Plus Powder contains 500 mg of calcium and 200 IU of vitamin D3 per 5 gm. Calcium tablets have a highly varied amount of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and Vitamin D3 so reading labels is necessary. Doc Roy’s® Healthy Bones tablets contain 475 mg calcium, 200 IU Vitamin D3, 367 mg of Phosphorous and 10 mg of Magnesium per tablet
According to veterinary formularies, oral calcium gluconate or calcium carbonate can be administered at 10 to 30 mg/kg three times daily. For a 60 pound dog, this would be 300 to 900 mg every eight hours as a maintenance dose.
Overexuberant calcium supplementation can cause GI upset, vomiting and potentially constipation. Large tablets given to a small dog can cause tablets to adhere to one another and could cause an obstruction. We also offer Doc Roys Healthy Bones in a granules.
If you have any further questions please call The Breeders Cupboard Team @ 587-988-2406
(some Content taken From Dr. Marty Greer Revival Animal Health)
There are four main causes of early neonatal puppy illness and death. Once the pups are breathing well managing these four parameters can make the difference between life and death for your pups. The four are all intertwined, without managing one well, you will struggle to manage the other three. They will be discussed as the 4Hs for this reason.
Hypothermia in puppies is low body temperature. Hypothermic pups have a four-fold increase in risk of death. Since a puppy cannot regulate his body temperature well until he is three weeks old, use a rectal thermometer and room thermometer to monitor the temperature and humidity. Avoid feeding until the puppy has an appropriate rectal temperature for one hour. If a puppy has a low body temperature, increase surface temperature and avoid use of a heat lamp due to risk of dehydration. A good guide to different newborn puppies’ temperature:
The Puppy Incubator allows for more intensive care and precise warming of hypothermic pups.
Our Puppy Heating Pad is a great option to have in the whelping box.
Hypoglycemia is low blood glucose or sugar. Hypoglycemia in puppies is caused by lack of adequate nutrition and using too many calories for staying warm and moving around. Puppies with a glucose of less than 90 gm/dl have a four-fold increased risk of death. To manage hypoglycemia, use a glucometer and a foot pad stick to diagnose the low glucose. Start or increase calorie intake by tube or bottle feeding. Glucose can be given orally or by IV administration. Doc Roy’s® Forti Cal or PET Nutri Drops can be given orally if injectable glucose or dextrose is not available.
Hydration is the fluid balance in the body. Dehydration is the lack of adequate fluids, usually taken in as milk during nursing. Monitor hydration by looking at urine color collected by stimulations on a dry white cotton ball or tissue. You want urine to be lemonade Color not Apple Juice. Hydration can be managed by increasing nursing, Bottle Feeding, tube feeding, or by injecting fluids subcutaneously (SQ). Sub Q Fluids
Electrolytes such as Breeder’s Edge® Puppy Lyte Or Dogzymes Puppy Support are useful for puppies showing signs of dehydration, or for puppies who are vomiting and/or having diarrhea. These are to be given orally.
Hypoxia is oxygen deprivation or low blood oxygen. Hypoxia in newborn puppies can be managed by putting the puppy in an oxygen chamber. An oxygen tank or oxygen concentrator will improve oxygenation of the pup’s blood. Room air is 20 percent oxygen, oxygen concentrators provide 90 percent oxygen and oxygen tanks provide 100 percent oxygen. By increasing the oxygen in the pup’s environment with a face mask, blow-by, or in an oxygen chamber/incubator, you will improve the chances of the pup’s survival until they are breathing strongly enough to survive on room air.
Our Oxygen Concentrator Paired with our Incubator is the best way to manage hypoxia. Hypoxic puppies have blue to gray gums and are seen to be struggling to breathe.
Pulse oximeters are a medical device that can measure the oxygen in the blood of a puppy or adult dog by use of a clip on the toes or lip. They are widely used in human and veterinary medicine during anesthesia or in the case of respiratory distress. Pulse oximeters can also be used on newborn pups to assess their ability to move and use oxygen.
If you have any further questions please call The Breeders Cupboard Team @ 587-988-2406
Managing Your Valuable Brood Bitch
(Content taken From Dr. Marty Greer Revival Animal Health)
Female Dog Breeding
What do you need for breeding dogs? First, we want to talk about physical condition of our female. It’s really important that they’re an ideal body condition, neither too thin nor overweight at the time that we want her to go into heat and start becoming reproductively active. If you were to take the back of your hand, make it into a fist and feel across your knuckles, that’s what her ribcage would feel like if she’s too thin. We don’t want to be able to feel ribs as thin as this. Ideal body condition is going to be what you’d feel on the heel of your hand.
Once they become overweight, then we really get into where they’re just too chubby. So we want to make sure that they’re not that heavy. We want to make sure that we can feel ribs, but not just feel squishy. We don’t want to put them on a diet at the time that we’re going to start breeding. We want to make sure that she’s ideal going into a heat cycle, not too thin and not too heavy.
What Tests Should I Do On My Dog Before Breeding?
The second thing I want to mention is health screening, primarily brucellosis. Canine brucellosis is a disease, a bacterial disease that we see in dogs. It still exists. It hasn’t been eradicated from the Canada or in most countries from around the world so it’s really important that we’re still keeping an eye on these dogs for canine brucellosis. It is a bacterial disease, but it is also a bacterial disease that is zoonotic, meaning that it can be transmitted to people. It’s of particular concern if we have young children, older people who are immunocompromised or a woman who may be pregnant.
Mycoplasma in Breeding Dogs
The third disease that we can see is mycoplasma. There are some dogs reported coming in from the Eastern European countries that do probably have mycoplasma. Treating the dogs if they’ve got some fertility issues with Doxycycline or other appropriate antibiotics both male and female can improve fertility in those dogs. So be aware that that’s a concern.
Those are primarily the diseases that we can see that are infectious, that can cause influences in pregnancy and reproductive health.
Can You Vaccinate a Pregnant Dog?My question for you now is which vaccines are safe to use during pregnancy? The answer to that is none. We don’t vaccinate any female dogs during pregnancy for any vaccines. Not for rabies. Not for anything.
What is the Best Diet For Breeding Dogs?
I want to mention is carbohydrates. We know that our pregnant females and females that are lactating to produce milk for their puppies need to have carbohydrates. They need carbohydrates to grow their puppies in the uterus, and they need carbohydrates to lactate. So they cannot produce milk. They cannot make nice big fat puppies for you if they’re on a carbohydrate free diet. Grain free diets make me a little nervous. I prefer a feeding carbohydrate diet that contains rice, barley, corn, wheat, milo all of those are appropriate unless your dog has food allergies. And if you do have an allergic dog, you probably should talk to your veterinarian about how inherited that’s likely to be sending it on to your puppy. Look hard at the labels of your foods before you’re feeding them that that we’re using an appropriate diet for the breeding dogs that we’re expecting to have puppies.
The problem that we also see with the grain free diets is we can see cardiomyopathy, which is a heart problem. There’s a dilated cardiomyopathy that about 30% of the dogs on with the cardiomyopathy seem to be related to a diet that’s grain free. There is a genetic form. There is a form that we haven’t completely figured out which are the other two forms. But around a third of the dogs that are developing these recent dilated cardiomyopathy are probably on a grain free diet, which is a potato and pea based diet. The other concern I have with peas isn’t just the heart, but there’s also a lot of phytoestrogens in the peas, legumes and beans that are in these diets, which probably interfere with the female’s fertility and potentially the males as well. We don’t have as many studies on that as we should at this point, but those things will be coming. So please keep your ears open and try to avoid the bean, pea and legume based diets during pregnancy and lactation. Potatoes in the sweet potatoes are probably okay, but they tend to be paired with the peas, legumes and beans. I would just encourage people to use the diets that are corn, wheat. Those are great nutrients that we see in many dogs. The corn, wheat, barley, oats, milo, unless you have an allergic dog, dogs are going to generally be better off on those types of sources of carbohydrates than they are on the other.
Folic Acid for Pregnant Dogs
Folic acid for pregnant dogs is a really important nutrient in the development of healthy puppies and healthy babies. We know from studies in dogs and in humans that a folic acid deficiency can promote or lead to an increased risk of midline defects. Midline defects are going to include cleft palate, spina bifida, open up abdominal walls. There’s a number of midline defects that we see. And what a midline defect is when the right and the left side of the embryo don’t grow together and form a normal body cavity. Folic acid can be used to reduce the incidence or the risk of that. It should be fed from about six weeks prior to the time that you want the female to become pregnant through to day 40 of the pregnancy.
There is folic acid in the dog prenatal Breeder’s Edge Oxy Mate. There is folic acid in Breeder’s Edge B Strong, but you may need to increase the amount of that, particularly in some of the breeds that are at risk. Short face dogs are the ones that are at increased risk of cleft palate. Now, that doesn’t mean they’re the only breeds that have cleft palate. We can see them in any breed. They can also be related to using certain drugs like trimethoprim sulfa during pregnancy. It’s really important that we’re avoiding those drugs and that we’re using folic acid supplements in dogs at risk.
Breeder’s Edge B Strong comes as a powder, and it comes in a liquid. From our clinical experience we know B Strong improves the quality and the frequency of heat cycles. If we have a female that’s being fed an appropriate diet of Purina, Royal Canin, and Eukanuba, one of those diets, and she’s not cycling with the frequency or not cycling at all that we would expect her to, that our first recommendation before we use any kind of drug intervention is to put her on B Strong along with the appropriate nutrition. A diet change, if that’s indicated, along with B Strong for the diet, seems to really make a big difference.
One of my own personal technicians at our practice had a dog that was three years old. She works in my reproduction department, not the dog, the technician. She had come in and said that her female hadn’t ever had a heat cycle and because she works in my reproduction department, I’m pretty sure she knows what a heat cycle looks like. So I said to her, “Well, what do you want to do about it?” She said, “Well, I want to put her on a medication to bring her into heat because I want to have a litter.” And I said, “No, no, no, not until we do B Strong.”
So we put her on to B Strong. I said, “If in 14 days she’s not in heat, then we’ll talk about it again.” And on the 14th day she sent me a photograph of the dog’s south end, because she clearly had started her heat cycle. She went on to have seven puppies. So we know that they’ve produced really well as soon as we’ve got them cycling. B Strong can make a huge difference in their quality of the heat cycle and the frequency. If you’re having difficulty with fertility in your females, start by looking at nutrition and adding the B vitamins. We don’t feel that there’s probably enough B vitamins added to the commercial diets as it seems that they’ve changed over the years. If you used to have no trouble and ten years ago you started to see a change or you’ve changed nutrition on the diet, take a look at this as a as a possible solution to your problem.
I also use Breeder's Edge Problem Female for uterine health in females that are not having regular healthy cycles and or have failed to conceive. It can be given along with B Strong
Fear not – you will lose more pups to starvation than to an error in tube feeding.
When it comes to tube feeding a puppy, first you’ll need to get together your materials:
Commercial puppy milk replacer preferred such as Breeder's edge foster care canine , Breeder's Edge Foster Care GM & Dogzymes Puppy Bac
Feeding tube, Silicone available FR5 and FR8 or Red rubber FR 3.5, FR 5 FR 8 based on the size of the puppy. Small breed and toys I would start with a FR3.5 for large breed I would start with a FR5
Puppy Scale that weighs in grams and ounces. We have 2 different Size of scales
Once you have these supplies, you can begin the process of tube feeding. Puppies can be tube fed until they refuse the tube. We’re going to show you how tube feeding is done using this stuffed animal, diagrams and video I’ve taken of tube feeding being done.
12 Steps For Tube Feeding a Puppy:
Stimulate the external anal and urinary orifices to effect defecation and urination with a warm moistened cotton ball or washcloth.
So just remember to follow the 6 P’s of successful tube feeding. If you follow these six guidelines, you too can be successful in raising pups who are off to a rough start in life.
So just remember to follow the 6 P’s of successful tube feeding. If you follow these six guidelines, you too can be successful in raising pups who are off to a rough start in life.
We sell a Puppy Essentials Kit to help you have all the supplies you may need to help a struggling puppy out on hand.
Here are some very Helpful videos from Dr Marty Greer
We are Happy to help you in any way we can
Contact The Breeders Cupboard
(587)988-2406
Puppy & Kitten Deworming Schedule
( Content taken From Donald Bramlage, DVM Revival Animal Health)
While it’s not uncommon for dogs and cats to deal with intestinal parasites, especially at a young age, it’s important to be proactive in preventing them from becoming a problem to begin with. The answers to the questions of how often to deworm a kitten and when to give puppy dewormer starts with following a recommended kitten and puppy deworming schedule.
Creating a deworming schedule for puppies and kittens is important for their overall health. Rough hair coats, diarrhea, malnutrition, intestinal obstructions, and anemia are common issues that can be signs of worms and other parasites, but you shouldn’t wait to act until symptoms appear. In this guide, we’ll cover how often to deworm puppies and when to deworm kittens to help keep them protected.
Strategically deworming dogs and cats is a practice recommended by the American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It generally involves giving your pet medicine orally or via a shot to help kill and prevent internal parasites.
Worms are more common in puppies and kittens, and they can often be born with roundworms or become infected via milk from mom. When it comes to how often to deworm puppies or kittens, here is the best kitten and puppy worming schedule to follow:
What Age to Deworm Puppies and Kittens:
Now that you know the recommended puppy and kitten deworming Schedule, you’ll be more prepared to help treat and prevent worms and parasites in your pets. If you ever suspect that your pet has worms or you notice any of the symptoms we mentioned above, be sure to speak with your veterinarian for proper diagnosis and suggested next steps.
Puppies often develop soft stools from deworming. To avoid this, start with a gentle dewormer such as pyrantel pamoate at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age. Starting deworming at two weeks will get ahead of the parasite infestation and help reduce the diarrhea seen with deworming.
Better yet, you can start deworming BEFORE the pups are born by deworming mom. I personally use Strongid from my vet 7-10 days prior to wheping to prevent worms in my puppies. However Dr Greer Recommends Fenbendazole such as SafeGuard Canine Dewormer has been shown to be safe in pregnant and lactating female dogs. Although this is an off-label use (meaning the drug has not been labeled for this protocol), there are studies dating back to the 1980s showing the safety and efficacy of this protocol. Starting on day 42 of pregnancy (21 days before the predicted whelping date) and continuing until the pups are 14 days old, given daily, this protocol will prevent the migration of roundworms through the placentas and hookworms through the mammary glands and into the pups. Doing this, you can prevent puppies from ever having these intestinal parasites. Why wait for the pups to get sick at weaning? Prevention is always the best medicine.
By proactively deworming the puppies, you are less likely for them to develop diarrhea during their early days. Even better, proactively deworm the mom dog during late pregnancy and early lactation to prevent the need to deworm the pups.
Should you find your puppies have diarrhea after deworming, you can use a combination of Probiotics and Firm Up.
Avoid the use of antibiotics including metronidazole and Tylan when possible. Overuse of antibiotics will lead to antibiotic resistance in your kennel and your household.
There are several good probiotics on the market. Use the veterinary version of probiotics as the bacterial flora in the dog is different than that of humans. Doc Roy’s GI Synbiotics, Breeder's Edge Nurture Flora and DogZymes Canine Probiotic Paste are the preferred probiotic products for efficacy. Adding fiber to the diet can help firm up soft stools. This includes insoluble fiber such as that found in canned pumpkin and squash, high fiber cereals, and psyllium (Metamucil). Personally I love Diggin' Your Dog Firm Up! and find it works the best.
Be aware that IF you use oral Pepto-Bismol tablets (not recommended), alert your veterinary professionals. These can show up on X-rays as an apparent foreign body. Neither you nor your veterinarian want to find out during a surgery to remove a “foreign body” that it was an innocent dose of medication and not a coin or piece of metal.
Additionally, try to avoid changes in food and water at the same times you are vaccinating and deworming pups. Too many changes can stress the pups, cause diarrhea, and make the pups more likely to contract canine coronavirus and parvovirus. Be thoughtful how you structure your preventive health programs.
Keeping Good Records of your Deworming and Vaccination Schedule
Don’t forget to also get The Breeder Chart Bundle to keep on hand as a helpful way for recording deworming, immunizations, fecal exams and more.
If you find you have further questions on developing a puppy deworming schedule please feel free to contact us at The Breeders Cupboard (587)988-2406 and have a discussion with your veterinarian
We cannot and do not sell Dewormer
Managing Stud Dog Fertility
(some Content taken From Dr. Marty Greer Revival Animal Health)
In general, reproductive failure and infertility are complex and multi-factorial. Infertility is defined as a reduced ability to produce young, while sterility is defined as a permanent inability to reproduce. Fertility is never guaranteed but the good news is infertility in male dogs is manageable. Your veterinarian can perform testing to assure you have the best possible opportunity to produce a litter.
How can you tell if a dog’s sperm is good? We start with a semen collection and analysis at a laboratory. A semen analysis should be completed prior to using the semen. There are four important and measurable aspects to dog semen quality:
If a veterinary Semen Evaluation is not possible or convvenient you can also use our Pet Count Semen Evaluator at home
To support improved sperm production and motility, consider supplements like Breeder’s Edge® Oxy Stud™, Breeder’s Edge® Problem Male™, and Breeder’s Edge® Get Him Going™. Each are formulated for the unique needs of a breeding dog and enhances male reproductive performance:
Breeder’s Edge Problem Male™ contains perna mussel, DHA, L-carnitine and L-arginine to support the healthy production of sperm. Ashwagandha and maca root are there to support libido.
Breeder’s Edge Get Him Going™ contains horny goat weed to help with libido, maca root for vitality, ashwagandha and niacin for energy and health, and sarsaparilla root to reduce inflammation and support hormone regulation.
Breeder’s Edge Oxy Stud™ is a dietary supplement that contains a proprietary blend of vitamins, minerals, and all-natural herbs beneficial for the unique needs of male breeding animals during peak breeding season. Important antioxidants help repair damage to testicles and muscle tissue caused by the environment and aging. Herbal ingredients give males more stamina and make them stronger breeders. This exclusive formulation also promotes the overall reproductive health of normal, healthy males and aids in the improvement of semen production.
Breeder’s Edge In Between for Him™ fills the nutritional gaps that may exist in the diet of male dogs between breeding cycles by supplying him with B vitamins and iron to maintain higher energy levels and cardiovascular function. Vitamin E supports prostate health and provides antioxidant protection. It provides magnesium and potassium for nerve and muscle function. And contains 23 key vitamins and minerals to support his overall health.
After assessing the semen quality, a male diagnostic workup should be done. A proper diagnostic workup for a male dog consists of:
The diagnostics should also include taking a sample of the dog’s urine immediately after ejaculation to see if sperm is present, indicating retrograde ejaculation.
I recommend freezing semen when your males are young, between two and four years of age. Freeze them while they are healthy and producing great quality semen. It will cost you much less money to freeze their semen while they are young. If they later turn out to have a disorder you don’t want in your breeding program, you can either wait until there is a DNA test you can use to determine how you can use him in your breeding program or discard the semen. If you chose not to keep your dog’s semen preserved, check with your breed club and see if there are others who would value that precious resource.
There has been some limited research that Diatomaceous Earth can increase sperm count
If you have more questions on male dog fertility or how to improve your dog’s sperm quality, call The Breeders Cupboard Team @ 587-988-2406