It's not just what we know... it's how much we care!

We can offer semen collection and freezing for storage or transport to other Veterinary Hospitals. Once collected from the male, the semen is transferred into labelled straws which are frozen in liquid nitrogen and carefully stored in our liquid nitrogen tanks.

After collection and freezing, we check the post-thaw motility on the semen to ensure it has sufficient motility and fertility for use in future breedings.

We also have the capability to store semen on-site for protracted periods of time, so that the semen is easily accessible and available for immediate use, whenever a breeder’s bitch comes into oestrus. This avoids the stress and hassle of trying to transport semen long distances urgently, if a bitch comes into season earlier than expected.

Semen Assessment

We have a state of the art ‘phase’ microscope to allow direct visualisation and assessment of semen motility and morphology. This is useful after collection and prior to storage, so breeders have assurance that the semen they are using or providing to another breeder, is fertile.

There are several reasons for semen evaluation:
1. To ensure a young dog about to begin a stud career has normal sperm production.

2. To investigate infertility problems.

3. To monitor sperm production after an illness (e.g. prostatic disease) or drug therapy to ensure the dog is still fertile.

4. To assess the semen as part of an artificial insemination program.

Parameters to be Evaluated

• Colour – Normal semen should be milky in colour. Clear or blood-tinged is abnormal (blood may kill the sperm and clear semen may indicate poor quality or no sperm production).
• Sperm Motility – a drop of semen is placed on a warm slide and immediately viewed under a microscope. The percentage of sperm swimming actively is assessed. Most fertile dogs have a motility of 90-95%. Dogs with motility below 80% are likely to have reduced fertility.
• Sperm Morphology – one hundred sperm in the drop of semen sample are examined and any shape (morphology) abnormalities are recorded. Abnormalities of the head or tail affect the sperm’s ability to swim and reach the egg, and also its ability to penetrate the egg cell. If the percentage of normal sperm is below 80%, it indicates reduced fertility.
• Sperm Concentration – A semen sample is diluted and placed in a counting chamber. The number of sperm in specific squares of the chamber are counted and the sperm concentration is calculated.
• Total Sperm Output – Calculated by multiplying the concentration of sperm (per ml) in the sample by the total volume of semen collected.

All semen assessments will be provided with a certificate outlining the results of the semen testing.