Dr. Florez has many years of experience with reproduction in dogs and cats. Trust us to provide reliable pet reproductive services. Benefit from our same-day appointment options!
New pet patients are welcome! Contact us today!
Reproduction Services:
- Infertility consultations
- Semen collection and evaluation
- Progesterone testing
Pre-Breeding Screening Services:
- Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) – orthopedic evaluations
- PennHIP
- DNA testing
- Pre-breeding exams
Pregnancy Services:
- Ultrasounds
- Whelping assistance
- C-sections
Ultrasound
Alternatively, your veterinarian can do an ultrasound between 25 and 35 days of gestation. An ultrasound can usually detect fetal heartbeats, giving you an estimate of the number of puppies the dog is carrying. The puppies’ heartbeats are 2-to-3 times faster than the mother’s.
X-ray
X-rays are one of the most effective ways to determine if a dog is pregnant. However, this is best done at 55 days or more, as the puppies’ skeletal systems don’t show up on an x-ray until then. An x-ray at this time allows you to get an accurate count of the number of puppies, which will prepare you to know when your dog is finished delivering.
Progesterone Testing
Proper timing of mating is important to a successful conception. Here at Aztec Animal Hospital we utilize progesterone testing to help ensure the correct timing of mating. We use Immulyte 1000, which is the only equipment that is tested, collaborated, and certified for the use of canine serum. This immunoassay system can provide results within 45 minutes of testing, and we will forward those results to you immediately. We recommend testing in the early morning before the female has her first meal.
There are many factors that contribute to determining the best time to breed. Our team can help make the process of conception as accurate as possible with progesterone testing. For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact us today at (480) 945-6800.
Collection and Freezing of Semen
Our hospital provides services for the collection and freezing of semen. You can schedule an appointment for this to be done in our office or in your own kennels, and will be done by manual stimulation.
When considering whether to collect and freeze your sire’s semen, it is important to consider his age and breeding history. In optimal conditions, the sire would not have mated or had semen collected in the past 2 months. Sires that have not been sexually active in the past 6 months may produce semen that is inferior to those that have been sexually active within 6 months prior to collection, so that is important to keep in mind when selecting an appointment time. Sires should be at least one year old, and those in good health can usually continue to have semen collected up to ten years old.
We do supply a seasonal bitch to increase the likelihood of a successful collection. In some cases, the number of breeding units is also increased when using a bitch which decreases the cost per unit in each collection. If your sire is a toy breed, we recommend using a teaser bitch with which you should keep separated from your sire and bring with you to your appointment. For more information about how you can best keep your sire and bitch separated and how to optimize the sample collected, contact us at (480) 945-6800.
Storage of Semen
Aztec Animal Hospital provides services for storage of semen using large tanks of liquid nitrogen. These tanks are inspected daily and maintained at -150 C. With these conditions, you can store your semen for as long as you need to, whether it is for a short period of time or for decades. We store pelleted semen in vials that are properly labeled with the donor identification and date of collection. Typically it takes 1 to 2 vials of semen for insemination.
We also offer optional insurance at an additional cost. For more information, contact us today at (480) 945-6800
Trancervical Insemination
For those looking for an alternative method of insemination, we offer transcervical insemination (TCI). This method uses chilled, fresh, or frozen semen for insemination, and is generally very successful. This technique should only be performed on bitches less than 5 years old with no uterine problems or disease.
The bitch will be in the standing position during the artificial insemination procedure. We will elevate the rear end of the bitch to help disperse the semen into the proper position before being pumped into the uterus. The inseminator will simulate a natural breeding experience in order to optimize the outcome. We will keep the bitch’s rear end elevated for 2-3 minutes following insemination.
While a fiber optic cystourethoscope will help the veterinarian visualize the opening of the cervix, it does not have the capabilities to visualize the inside of the uterus and we cannot perform a uterine evaluation during TCI. However, we can perform evaluations of the vaginal tract.
For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact us today at (480) 945-6800
Surgical Implant
Aztec Animal Hospital is proud to offer services for surgical artificial insemination. This method is performed under sterile conditions and is the most preferable for bitches over the age of 5.
One of the many benefits to having a surgical insemination is the ability to have a uterine examination during the procedure. This is the most effective way to examine the uterine tissue, and in some cases issues can be corrected during the procedure to help the bitch conceive. An incision will be made where the muscle tissue is thinnest to help facilitate the quickest recovery possible, and the semen will be directly inseminated into the uterus. We will keep the bitch overnight to ensure her health and that there are no postoperative complications.
It is important to note that surgical insemination does not decrease the number of times a bitch can be bred and does not put the bitch at risk of needing a caesarean section or having whelping difficulties. We strongly recommend this form of insemination for bitches over the age of 5 or those who may have other uterine complications that would require an examination.
If you have any questions about our services, please contact us today at (480) 945-6800.