Associate Professor of Food Animal Health Maintenance Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine
This talk focuses on canine breeding management, with an emphasis on improving pregnancy success through accurate timing and advanced insemination techniques. It covers the critical role of a stud dog with healthy semen and a receptive bitch with mature oocytes. The importance of identifying the optimal breeding time is highlighted, using tools such as vaginal cytology, hormone assays, and endoscope-assisted transcervical insemination (TCI). The anatomy and estrous cycle of the bitch are reviewed, along with methods for determining the fertile period. Special attention is given to TCI, which enables precise semen deposition in the uterus, increasing conception rates with minimal risk and no anesthesia. The advantages, challenges, and necessary equipment for performing TCI are discussed, along with the long-term benefits of this technique, particularly in cases involving frozen semen.
