What to Expect
Dr. Evan Bell, one of the co-founders of Vets on Main, is proud to have nearly a decade’s experience with reproduction and assisted breeding techniques. Here’s what to expect when you partner with him for your breeding efforts.
What to Expect for Your Reproduction Consultation at Vets on Main
As a team, we strive to help breeders improve their respective breeds and offer ways to better their practices where possible.
Our goals for a reproduction consultation are to:
- Get a thorough understanding of a patient’s medical history including physical health, genetic testing, and breed-specific testing
- Discuss your goals for a successful breeding program
- Improve husbandry and quality of breeding animals
- Discuss appropriate diet and/or supplementation for all stages of reproduction
- Assess health and suitability of potential breeding animals
- Discuss plans to improve the likelihood of producing healthy puppies
In order to discuss plans in greater detail we first must establish a VCPR, or a Veterinarian Client Patient Relationship. This includes a detailed medical and reproductive history, and physical exam which allows our veterinary team to learn about your pet before we are able to make recommendations for you. A VCPR remains valid for about one year, provided no major changes have occurred to your pet’s health, after which we would require another consultation.
An important part of breeding responsibly is knowing which issues (if any) are prominent within your breed, and what testing needs to be done to ensure you are using a quality breeding animal. The OFA has a thorough list of breeds including which tests should be done to fully ‘health clear’ a potential breeding dog. You should also be aware of your breed standards through relevant breed associations. Keep in mind that a physical exam and history alone are insufficient to clear a dog for breeding. Most health testing would be done at a later date and an estimate can be provided to you. If your breeding dog is a mixed breed, then you should consider which breeds predominate when considering what testing is appropriate.
For stud assessments, we recommend a semen evaluation. Where semen collections are needed, it is recommended to coordinate a teaser (an intact female in estrus) to encourage the stud to produce a sample. Nervous or shy males and ‘first-time’ collectors may fail to produce a sample, and a teaser will greatly improve the odds of success. If you are unsure of where to find a teaser you can reach out to local kennel clubs or groups – most breeder communities are very supportive and willing to help!
For consultations for breeding females, please contact the clinic to set up an appointment in advance of the next heat cycle. This allows us to discuss hormone planning (progesterone and/or LH), what type of semen sample will be used (ie: fresh, chilled or frozen) and methods for successful breeding. We will do our best to accommodate all reproduction clients in our schedule and it is much easier when there is ample time to set up a plan.
If shipping semen is a part of your plan, we are happy to offer shipping across Canada and the USA through commercial shippers. At this time, we do not offer semen freezes but look forward to offering this in the future.
If, during the consultation, there are concerns noted on the examination or results of testing, we may recommend not using a particular dog for breeding. Often this is weighing a number of factors such as temperament, physical condition, health problems (eg: allergies, heart disease, genetically linked illness, etc.), mothering instinct, and more. We reserve the right to refuse a potential match if we feel it is not in the dog’s, or future puppies’ best interests. We will not breed a dog who demonstrates high FAS (fear, anxiety, stress) or aggression as these traits are inappropriate in a quality breeding dog in the vast majority of cases.
We look forward to working with you and helping you reach your breeding goals!