Our Reproduction Services
Alma Street Animal Hospital provides a comprehensive reproductive management services. We strive to meet all your reproductive needs from breeding consultation to whelping assistance and neonatal care.
Canine Reproductive Planning
We provide full service for male and female dogs in your breeding program. Male reproductive exams and complete semen evaluation, including progressive motility, morphology and concentration. Timing is critical at every stage of the breeding process; from pinpointing ovulation through in-house progesterone testing to selecting the timing of natural mating or insemination.
Progesterone and Vaginal Cytology
Because of the expense, and critical nature of the appropriate time of mating or insemination, progesterone testing is critical to the breeding process. We provide accurate in-house progesterone testing and can calculate the most optimal days for breeding.To enhance the success of pregnancy, we also perform vaginal cytology on your female dog. This requires taking a swab of the vaginal cells and then analyzing for cornification under a microscope. Alma Street Animal Hospital provides all these services so responsible breeders can maximize the dog's chances at successful pregnancy.
Semen Collection, Shipping and Storage
Stud dogs are collected in our office and semen quality and quantity is evaluated. Fresh or frozen semen can be shipped worldwide. Technology allows for the infinite preservation of semen. This allows a male's reproductive capacity to outlive him. Alma Street Animal Hospital also provides onsite frozen semen storage.
Surgical and Trans-cervical Insemination
Surgical insemination allows direct examination of the uterus and ovaries if needed. It bypasses any problem related to the condition of the vagina and cervix. Using trans-cervical insemination, the semen is deposited into the uterus through the cervical canal. It is a safe and effective method of intra-uterine insemination.
Pregnancy Ultrasound and X-ray
An ultrasound is used to confirm pregnancy and estimate litter size. Ultrasound is probably the best and most accurate method of confirming a pregnancy. Approximately a week before whelping a pregnancy x-ray is taken to evaluate fetal head and pelvic size ratios and to estimate litter size.
Whelping Management and Caesarean sections
Our goal is to have an successful conception, a normal pregnancy and an incidence-free birth with no complications. If problems do arise that need immediate attention, early intervention can make the difference between a puppy's survival or death. Alma Street Animal Clinic is available to support you at every stage of whelping; breeding, pregnancy, whelping, and lactation. Whelping issues do arise in some breeds. A c-section is performed to safely remove babies from a pregnant female when there may be signs of complications.
Other support services; neonatal care such as tube feeding, tail docking and dewclaw removal.