I will be updating this page soon with new information including my experiences with the use of Ovuplant (typically used in horses) to bring a problem bitch into heat.
Here are the progesterone results for my very first surgical implant with Sadie. This breeding resulted in a litter of 12 puppies.
4/07/00 - Progesterone 1.4
4/08/00 - Progesterone 0.9 (since this dropped from one day to the next, the first reading was most likely inaccurate and possibly a slight lab error, which is why it is essential to do multiple tests)
4/10/00 - Progesterone 2.8 (Notice the big jump from .9 to 2.8, LH surge happens around 2.0...so she has already surged at this point)
4/11/00 - Progesterone 3.2 (Ovulation occurs around 5.0, so she is about 1 day to ovulation)
4/12/00 - Progesterone 5.5 (Ovulation has occurred!!!...breeding scheduled for 4/14)
4/14/00 - Progesterone 24.5 (Implant done.)
**IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT USE THE IN HOUSE PROGESTERONE TESTS. THESE ARE HIGHLY INACCURATE.
THE PROCEDURE ITSELF
The implant itself is really quite quick and easy. It is still a surgery though and does involve more risk than natural breeding. If you have a good vet that will allow you to watch the surgery (providing you are not faintish), it is really quite intersting. Rather than me trying to explain the surgery, please go to the following link which has pictures and all!
THE COSTS $$$$$$$$$$
I often get asked how much a surgical implant will cost...so here it is...
Progesterone tests
5 @ $65.00 each = 325.00 (I usually figure 5 but this may vary)
Stud Fee 1000.00 (This varies of course)
Shipping of Semen*** 75.00 (approximate)
Collection of Semen 150.00 (approximate; for frozen usually the collection is covered in the stud fee)
***If you are getting frozen semen and depending on the semen bank you are getting it from, they sometimes require a hefty deposit on the shipping container. I believe I once paid $800.00 as a deposit on the container. This is 100% refunded once the container is returned.
A Huge THANK YOU to Dr. Kelly Carver of Kindness Animal Hospital in Cape Coral, FL for her outstanding work in surgical implants. To my knoweledge, Kelly has had a 100% success rate on Great Danes!
