On Patience and Puppies

Well, we’re still in the waiting and seeing stage when it comes to puppies. Journey hasn’t been bred yet, but we anticipate doing so either tomorrow or Thursday. The date will be based on her progesterone results, the originals of which were lost by Purolator enroute to the lab. Sailor is being bred one last time, and her breeding date is also still tentative, because, again, we need to monitor her progesterone, her Draminski readings, and the progress of her crenation. Normally, we’d also be checking her LH results, but there are no kits available at the moment. Luckily, our new vet, Dr. Boyd, seems to have timing testing down to an art. The proof, of course, will be in the puppies.

Sailor and Journey are both being bred via surgical insemination, since we’re using frozen semen. Surgical AI is a minor procedure which introduces the semen directly into the uterus, thereby increasing the chances for conception. When you’re using frozen semen, you don’t want to take any chances on missing, since every straw is irreplaceable. A missed breeding on a live dog is a waste of time and money, but a missed breeding using the semen of a deceased dog is a waste of time, money, potential and chances.

It strikes me that for some people, all of this will sound ridiculous. What happened to the “good old days”, when a ‘breeder’ just chucked two dogs into a yard, and let them have at it? Personally, I’m not sure the ‘good’ old days were really that great. Now that I have the technology to do everything in my power to ensure not just puppies, but healthy puppies with the potential for longer, better quality lives, free of genetic disorders, I feel obligated to take advantage of it. Ethics requires nothing less of me.

I have no idea if Mae is pregnant yet. Dr. Boyd did a palpation, but it was non conclusive, which is a nice way of saying ‘maybe she is, maybe she isn’t’. Since I’m not a big fan of waiting and seeing when there are alternatives, she’s booked for an ultrasound tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed, the results will be positive.

Carol