Transcervical Insemination
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Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Good Dog is on a mission to educate the public, support dog breeders, and promote canine health so we can give our dogs the world they deserve.
Unsuccessful TCI and ultrasound results
Q: I recently tried a TCI, but don't think I was successful. I had an US done on day 30 after TCI and the vet said no puppies. My question to you is if you have ever had an US to confirm pregnancy and showed no puppies, but later found out bitch was pregnant? I know I could do an x-ray, but I don't want to waste money if there is absolutely no chance she could be pregnant.
A: I am so sorry that the US showed no puppies. Yes, I have seen an US that said no puppies and there were 1-2. The US result is often dependent on the skill of the technician using it, but it is 90% reliable and I do not want to get your hopes up. If you still think she may be pregnant, you can also run a Witness Relaxin test by Zoetis. This is a blood serum test that measures Relaxin hormone circulation in the body of a pregnant girl. On day 45 or later, there should be enough Relaxin to show a positive result even if there are only 1-2 puppies, thus letting you know if you need to plan for a litter.
As a side note, I have a girl who is sensitive to extenders; it does not matter if it is AI or SI or TCI. She does not get pregnant if there is any extender in the mix. But, if I do a side-by-side breeding AI without an extender or a natural cover, she gets pregnant every time. Just something to think about.
When you are planning for the future, remember to run progesterone and breed using the numbers. Request a morphology report from the owner of the male prior to breeding. Do full blood work on your girl, including a complete tick panel as tick borne disease can also interfere in conception and pregnancy. Just because you were not successful this time does not mean that you will not be successful next time.
