Many breeders do their own progesterone testing and AI's. What tests do you use and why. Personally, I would trust a breeders advice over a veterinarian regarding this. We've come a long way since my last litter, but what a fiasco it was thanks to the vet I used. She was a breeder too, but screwed up big time on the ovulation timing, not just on my bitch, but others as well. I forget now the test she used.

I started doing my own testing just over 5 years ago when I was missing with having vets do it. Last time for me was when I was doing a surgical AI, I had started using Date to Mate aka Pre Mate. During my vet's progesterone testing I was following along with my own testing. Long story short, my vet said "Friday" for the surgical AI. I said not according to my resutls. According to what I was getting, Sunday was going to be the day. She said I should pick, she would go in for Sunday if I wanted. I picked Sunday and 8 pups later I was so glad I stuck to my own results. Would have clearly missed had it been done on that Friday.

Since then I have never used a vet for progesterone testing, nor does my vet make me IF I needed a surgical AI done and I have numerous breeders in my area that have me handle testing and breeding for them. I also draw my own blood and spin it down etc..

I also realize that testing should only be what any individual is comfortable with. There is no right or wrong.

I am curious how many of you draw your own blood and how did you learn to do it?

Between another breeder and my vet allowing his techs to teach me, was easy.

I've also used the Camelot Farms date to mate with good success. I learned to pull blood when I worked for Vets over the past so it's no biggy for me. It's really not difficult to learn either.

Several friends of mine have been using the Draminski ovulation detector with good success too and you do not have to pull to use this tool.

Dianne

On the new AKC litter application, all extended-semen AIs have to be done by a vet. The vets on both ends have to sign, fill out their info including license #, date collected, date AI'd. Id hate to have done the AI myself and not be able to register a litter.

All of our breedings are natural ties. Didn't you know?

mmmmmm My vet taught me years ago to pull blood.
Could you explain a little more on this Draminski
Ovulation detector.? Always interested in trying something new. Although I think I have heard of this.
Where can you find out about it and purchase it.? If it's the right tool to use for us.

Diane here is link I found.

http://www.winjamar.net/

I also found this http://www.draminski.com/products/dogs and in my "surfing" found that Servant Labradors uses it per the testimonial on this site ~> http://www.everythingsheltie.com/ovulation_detector.htm.
I would be interested to see just how effective this is in a testing environment where blood progesterone is run and the Draminski tester used in parallel.

Where can I purchase a blood collection kit in the US?

http://www.camelotfarms.com/


Jackie, above link is where I get Pre Mate aka Date To Mate.

If my bitch was 1.3ng on Friday and I bred/ AI her on
on Monday and Wednsday. I tested her on Tuesday and she was 9.3. Did I breed her on a good days? Would her pups be due 63 days from that Sunday?

Do the kits come with Blood Tubes, collection needles and syringes? If not, where can I get these items?

After all the hassle of progesterone tests at the vets, we have developped a fool-proof method. It has been around for a while, comes in a black case, it starts to indicate from LH surge, it registers ovulation, its pointers are crystal clear and don't require a PhD in interpretation... oh, and it has a super otter tail!

Jackie, I get blood viles, directly from my vet, red top!! He calls in a prescription for syringes to our local pharmacy and I pick them up there. In NY, it's illegal to order them from Revival and other places. Some states allow this, you would have to find out about your state. If you need help with this, e mail me, I have taught many how to use this right through e mail, it's that easy. The only thing I can't do is teach you how to draw blood. Red top viles will automatically separate the blood from syrum if you do not have a centrifuge. Takes a long time though. The other thing depending on how close you are to your vet and how close of a relationship you have with him/her, perhaps if necessary, they can draw the blood and spin it down and then you can take it home and test??

>>its pointers are crystal clear and don't require a PhD in interpretation... oh, and it has a super otter tail!>>

I agree, but what can you do when the stud dog owner requires it before shipping.

Has anyone used Fertile Focus? Myra Harris, RN mentioned it at a Repro/Whelping seminar. It uses saliva collected first thing in the a.m. When the saliva forms a crystal-fern pattern ovulation is exactly 4 days away. Sounded interesting and was only $50 and can be reused a billion times.

The Fertile Focus is very interesting. Myra Savant Harris gave a great seminar at our Memorial Day Cluster last year. Shoot at $50 that is the cost of running just a single progesterone test at the Vet! Has anyone else used it? If so what were your experiences??

I've used the Camelot kit and the Target Test. I have no problem with drawing my own blood but what works best for me is the progesterone test that the lab does with results in nanograms. You breed on days 3 and 5 after the progesterone level surges over 5. If your bitch was 9.3 on Tuesday, she may have surged on Monday--in which case you may have caught her on Wednesday. You may also have been a tad early. Puppies are due 63 days from the surge. This has worked for me time and again, but I guess that's the bottom line--whatever you're comfortable doing and if it works for you.

You can get the Fertile Focus scope from the manufacturer for $27, postage paid.

5 years later!! Actually I enjoyed reading posts with some substance

She may have ovulated on Monday. I personally would breed Wednesday and Friday with Thursday being the day for 1 breeding.

Since the second AI was Wednesday, that would be fine with fresh AI. If you had chilled shipped, you are probably still OK but another day or two later would have been much better.

Pups would be due 63 days from Monday (or maybe Tuesday).