Hi Everyone,

This is a bit odd but i hope you have some advice for me. Last night i let my dogs out for a wee and after 10 minutes went to let them in. I then found my 3 yr old bitch who is on day 7 of her season, tied with my castrated male!!!!! I have spoken to my vet who says there is a 1 in a million chance of her concieving as the sperm should all be dead. He was castrated in february.He has shown absolutely no interest in her at all and has been fine through 2 other seasons.  I don't want to risk her having the injection for fear of a pyo so i am just leaving fate to decide what will be. Its a perfectly viable mating..............apart from the fact hes got no wotsits!!!!! What are the chances of her concieving??? Everyone has nearly fell over laughing when i have told them and are queing up to use my super stud dog.

Any help appreciated.

M.x

Castration only removes the testes responsible for sperm production, it does not render a dog (or any other animal) impotent or incapable of "mating".

This is not that unusual, I doubt very much if your bitch will be impregnated.  Castration is not the same as a vasectomy after all.

It soes appear though that a dog can still sire a litter quite some time after castration.  I beleive 11 months has been recorded and proven by DNA.

Scary!!!!!!!!!!!

Even men when they have the snip can get women pregnant for some time after. Depends how quickly they 'use up' the remaining sperm or the sperm die, whatever happens first :)

But Chez -swa, as I said earlier, castration is not the same as a vasectomy. 

The latter does not involve removing the testes, the manufacturing area of sperm, it just puts up a barrier between the factory and the final user.

Some men have vasectomies which then fail years later.

Castration is the actual removal of the testes, that is why I find it strange that impregnation is possible because you are in effect removing the factory, unless something has been left behind by mistake.

Any sperm left in the vas deferens could indeed impregnate a bitch - however sperm would not stay in the vas deferens for long and is probably gone, if the castration was some time ago.  When was he castrated?  If it was last week, I'd be worried, but otherwise I think you're fine!

The failure rate of vasectomies in men is actually 0.02-0.2%.  As such it is the most effective method of birth control. 

Thanks to everyone for your replies. A friend who bred my girl actually spoke to a fertility expert from the guide dogs who said that the chances are far, far less than 1 in a million and it is practically impossible. I know theres not really such a thing as impossible but it sounds like we are fairly safe. He was castrated in feb, and my girl and her daughter have both had seasons since then with no effect on him.
Thanks to all for the advice and for helping my mind rest a little more.

M.x