Animal Hospital of Signal Mountain is now proud to offer reproduction services!

If you are looking to get started in breeding or are an established breeder, we are excited to begin working with you to create healthy, happy puppies. We now offer breeding consults, cycle management, in-house progesterone testing, infertility evaluations, transcervical and surgical inseminations, scheduled and emergency cesarean sections, and health testing.

Why is breeding important?

Responsible breeding is essential for improving the overall health and temperaments of our breeds. Each breed was created with a purpose and by proper health testing and selective breeding, we can continue to improve each breed while decreasing the chances of health concerns.

What health testing should be performed?

Each individual breed has different recommended health testing based on the most common health concerns within each breed. If you are unsure what testing you should be having performed on your breeding stock, please ask your veterinarian or go to the following website: https://ofa.org/chic-programs/browse-by-breed

We are proud to offer PennHIP and OFA testing, including BAER testing (brainstem auditory evoked response) for congenital deafness and RFG (respiratory functional grading) testing for our brachycephalic breeds!

When should I get assistance from my veterinarian?

As veterinarians, we can help provide guidance and assistance on the who/when/how, etc. of breeding.

• Our health testing and breeding soundness examinations will help you choose who is a recommended breeding prospect.

• Our in-house progesterone testing can help guide you on when to breed your dogs. This is important regardless of how you will be breeding. Whether doing artificial inseminations with fresh or frozen semen or doing live cover, in-house progesterone testing allows us to give you fast and accurate results regarding the exact time of ovulation in your bitch. This is important to know to get a more accurate due date as well as to determine the peak-fertile-window for breeding to maximize breeding success (increases pregnancy rates, reduces number of breedings needed, etc.)

• Whether using fresh or frozen semen, artificial insemination via trans-cervical insemination can be a good option to help increase pregnancy rates. This is a quick, minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure that allows us to deposit semen directly into the uterus. This can especially be helpful with frozen or poor-quality semen.

• Planned cesarean sections are scheduled, elective procedures that are used to help prevent high-risk complications (dystocia). Reasons for doing this may include brachycephalic breeds, small litter sizes, or a history of prior birthing issues. These may be recommended by your veterinarian on a case-by-case basis. Planned c-sections require accurate breeding management and timing with progesterone testing. If this is something you may be interested in with your breeding, we would be happy to discuss this with you further.

How do I get started?

If you have a breeding prospect dog which you would like to get evaluated, I recommend scheduling an exam with Dr. Deanna Arnold to discuss next steps.