Artificial Insemination

Artificial insemination is performed frequently with livestock, often because cattle are too large to mate naturally without risk of injury. However, it is usually left as a last resort among canines. The process involves three main steps: collection and preservation of semen, preparation of the female, and the actual act of insemination.

For collection, a female in heat is often used as a “teaser”, but once the female is mounted, care must be taken to ensure that the intended sire is, for lack of a better term, redirected into the appropriate collection device. Once the semen has been collected, it may be used immediately, chilled for up to 24 hours, or frozen for prolonged storage. It should be noted, however, that while chilling and freezing will help to preserve the semen, the chances of successful fertilization will still degrade over time.

For fertilization to occur, the female must be inseminated at the right time. Typically, attempts at insemination are performed approximately four days before ovulation, and continued every second day until two days after ovulation. Of course, determining the exact date of ovulation can be difficult. Blood tests can determine the date of ovulation by measuring the level of progesterone in the female. However, this method is often expensive and impractical. A far less accurate, but much more cost-effective method is to simply keep track of the female’s cycles to predict when she will next be in heat.

Finally the act of insemination is performed using a specially designed pipette. The male should not be present during this process. The female is held in an upright position, and the semen is deposited at the cervix.

Whether you are breeding German Shepherd puppies, Belgian Malinois puppies or Dutch Shepherd puppies, you should remember that artificial insemination should only be used as a last resort. The natural mating process offers much greater rates of success, and is always the preferred option of artificial insemination. For more information regarding this article  go to www.cck9.ca

Cloudy Eyes in Your Dogs

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As a dog owner, making sure that your Personal Protection Dogs is healthy should be one of your main priorities and responsibilities. One health problem that may occur for you dog is a cloudy eye or otherwise known as keratitis. Keratitis is the inflammation of the cornea, causing the cornea to become cloudy. The keratitis infection occurs when a bacterial infection complicates the corneal ulcer. The bacteria that most commonly infects the eye is Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas. When this happens the eyelids become swollen and matted. Some dogs are more likely to develop keratitis for example, dogs with short noses and prominent eyes and breeds such as the boxer. This infection covers the iris and pupil and limits light to enter the interior of the eye. The inflammation can also be accompanied by loss of the first layer of the cornea or loss of deep layers. At first, the eye might not be noticeable which could lead to trouble diagnosing your dog's keratitis. That is why it is very important to be alert and take your protection dog to the vet if there are any signs.

There are many signs that you can look for in your dog to diagnose keratitis. One sign is if your dog's eye looks red and painful. Another is if the eyes are watery or teary and if the animal squints. Also if they are sensitive to the light or rub at their eyes. The eye might remain closed and discharge could become present on or around the eye and eyelids. And one of the common signs is the eye becoming cloudy. If any of these signs are noticeable, take your protection dog to the vet as soon as possible. Once there the keratitis will be diagnosed through a complete eye examination. The vet will inspect the eye and cornea carefully and a test for the presence of corneal erosions by placing dye into the eye will be done. If keratitis is is diagnosed then certain steps will be taken to treat the infection. The treatment ultimately depends on the cause and severity of the corneal disease. Dogs with deep or rapidly progressive corneal damage may require hospitalization for surgery or frequent medical treatment. If it is not severe then surgery is not needed and antibiotic will be applied. Like any other health problems, be alert for signs of abnormalities in your Protection Dogs, and be prepared to take the necessary steps to keep them healthy.

Check Ups For Your Protection Dog

Some people may argue that if they feel healthy, then they have no reason to visit the doctor. Unfortunately, many of these people learn the hard way that they are mistaken. Any medical doctor will tell you that regular checkups are crucial to maintaining good health, and especially crucial to the early detection and prevention of disease. Your physician is sometimes able to detect the early signs of disease long before you would feel any pain. The exact same is true of canines, if not more-so. While you are able to verbally communicate any pain you might feel, your dog cannot. By the time your dog becomes visibly ill, it may be too late

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On top of early detection of disease, there are a number of things that should also be taken care of by a vet. First and foremost is immunization shots. Some shots need not be given more than once, but many require an annual booster to maintain their effect. Another important aspect of a visit to the vet is dental and oral health.

The importance of maintaining your canine's health should be apparent to anyone. A Protection Dog cannot protect, and a Guard Dogcannot guard, if it is sick. While the majority of well bred working line dogs will be free of hereditary disease, there are still a number of contagious diseases that your dog can pick up from other dogs. We do our best to ensure that we breed only the strongest and healthiest German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherds, but no dog is invincible and there is no excuse to avoid taking your dog to the vet. Early detection and prevention is key in preserving your dogs health. Veterinary check-ups should be performed at least annually.