Hi,

I'm in the North West and looking for canine reproduction companies who specialise in semen collection and freezing. Has anyone used Keith Shea's Fit and Fertile company? If so, would you recommend them? Are there any other companies out there? I'm definitely willing to travel if the company has had raving reviews.

Thanks in advance

Haven't used this company myself but know friends who have and they were very impressed with the services provided.

I received very competitive quotes for Fit and Fertile's services but in the end went with Louise Maclean at Calder Vets in Dewsbury on the basis of recommendations from breeders who have never had a failure with her.

Fit and fertile have a collection and freezing day on special offer on 14 June at Kennel club building at Stoneleigh.  If  you look at their web site  the info is on there.

Thanks all,

I'm going to look into Calder Vets, and have another chat with Keith. Yes, I noticed Keith had an offer on at the moment, but I've been to him quite a few times for scanning, and he worries me - I don't know whether I could trust him with this, especially with something that is costly anyway. I just want to go to someone who's had a good reviews, even if that does mean paying more.

MVS Vets do semen analysis and freezing

Now this is where I think the Kennel Club with their windfall should set up a Semen Bank and maybe in future an egg bank. 

They could do it with the help of the AHT for example.

Breeders should be encouraged to store semen from as many males as possible, of two to three years of age (in their prime), also with a DNA sample so that a full DNA analysis could be done and the DNA used in future, for any future health testing.  Photographs and a breed assessment should be included.

Semen not be used for at least 10 years.

One of the things that happens in a gene pool is genetic drifts as genes from earlier generations are lost, when lines come to a dead end.  Many lines may have been deliberately dropped due to connections with diseases that can now be tested for.

Also the actual effect of individual sires/dams can be seen, and lost and underused genes be brought back in.

>Breeders should be encouraged to store semen from as many males as possible, of two to three years of age (in their prime)

Only one addendum to this excellent idea Barbara.
I'm storing semen from my young dogs BEFORE they mature and are rescanned at 3 years old.
If results turn out to be poor then I will ditch the collection.
Lack of libido, accident or unforeseen sterility may scupper my plans so to be safe I'm storing early.

I agree the storage is the first stage, use should be subject to the the results re health etc and what the breed needs in the future, it's for a long term investment, like the National seed bank for plants.

Mika von Heimendahl(sp) did say that semen should be stored from young dogs at 2 - 3 for best results.

As you say the dogs actual long term health and longevity can be established, and in breeds with late onset issues the genes added back into the gene pool.

As with your breed, it means the males with exceptionally good longevity and long term absence f issues could be used after their death.

NOW HOW SO WE MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO THE KENNEL CLUB, oh yeah try and get it through a breed rep, etc and then meetings are cancelled due to lack of agenda items.

We need to be able to make suggestions etc direct to relevant departments at the KC, tehn their committees can chew it over, maybe then put it to the reps???

The fundamental stumbling block as I see it...is their entrenched view that AI is 'unnatural' and any banking and subsequent use of semen
would revolve around this thorny problem.
As long as the BVA regards CANINE repro medicine as unnecessary, vets will get little education in this field and their governing body
will lobby the KC to minimise the use of AI.
To maximise the effectiveness of old stored frozen semen...surgical AI would probably be the most successful method and I see hell freezing over
before either governing body relaxes their opinion on that.

Yes unlike other countries the idea of helping canines reproduce seems very alien to our vets, yet the countries that use specialists in this area most successfully are strangely enough the ones with a strong pro neuter everything that moves culture???

Yes the main reasons for our comparative lack of success with AI is sue to the best results being from the surgical method.

Can I ask in what way do you not like keith shea practice as I was considering using the scheme?