alpine animal doctors veterinary services
FOR BREEDERS
For more information or to make an appointment for this service please call...
5756 2444
- Monday: 8.30 to 5.30
- Tuesday 8.30 to 5.30
- Wednesday: 9 to 1
- Thursday: 8.30 to 5.30
- Friday: 8.30 to 5.30
- Saturday: 9 to 1
- Sunday: Closed
7047 Great Alpine Road,
Porepunkah, VIC 3740
Breeding services at Alpine Animal Doctors
Alpine Animal Doctors are experts in reproductive issues, genetics and inheritable conditions. We offer a wide range of specialist services to registered breeders and individuals wishing to ensure successful conception and whelping.
Our services include fertility testing and health checks of mother and babies throughout the pregnancy using our ultrasound facilities.
We can help with natural, artificial and surgical insemination, using fresh, chilled or frozen semen, and assist in birthing, including Caesarian surgery and post-whelping management and care.
Fertility testing: The most common reason for a failure to fall pregnant is a mis-timed mating. Using the testing facilities in our own Pathology Lab we can measure the progesterone level of your bitch to ascertain the optimal time for mating.
Studies have shown that observing days in season, discharge colour, vulva size or male interest are all inaccurate methods of assessing when a bitch is ready to mate, and that progesterone assays greatly increase conception rates. Using an immunoassay machine to measure the serum progesterone levels of in-season bitches means they can be inseminated at precisely the correct time, maximising their chances of a successful pregnancy.
Reproductive treatments: For animals with suspected reproductive problems we can perform a complete diagnostic work up including uterine biopsies, ovarian follicular flushing and examination for ovarian cysts or cancers.
Semen collection service: We offer a full semen collection service. On most days we will have an in-season bitch in the hospital to act as a ‘teaser’ or you can bring your own seasonal bitch. If you intend to do this please advise us when you book your appointment, and be sure you keep the prospective sire and bitch well separated while travelling, preferably in a separate trailer.
If there are known or suspected fertility problems we can carry out a full investigative program and a detailed semen assessment.
Semen collection and assessment appointments generally take no more than 30 minutes.
Semen freezing service: Our clinic is fully certified to use the Camelot semen freezing/storage system and we use only the high quality Camelot extenders to produce pelleted semen packaged into screw capped vials, with each vial containing one insemination unit.
Freezing a semen collection takes about two hours to complete. When the final pellets are formed we thaw one to assess its post thaw motility. A pellet thawed immediately after full freezing has occurred will have exactly the same characteristics as when thawed after a month, a year or ten years. From this ‘test’ pellet we can calculate how many ‘splits’ are feasible.
When contemplating having the semen of a prospective sire frozen you should consider his recent history. Ideally he should have had a mating or a semen collection in the two months prior to your collection appointment. If he has gone six months or more without sexual activity the initial semen sample may be of inferior quality. If you need advice or assistance in establishing the optimal time please contact Dr. Bek.
Moving overseas with your pets? Alpine Animal Doctors are also fully AQIS Certified and can assist with import and export of both live animals and semen.
At the hospital we have our own small research centre, where we undertake projects aimed at advancing veterinary treatments for animals everywhere. For more information see Discover our genetic research lab.
