Of course , human sperm bank operations are much different from those of canine sperm banking . At a human sperm bank , the client may be searching for a donor ; at a canine sperm bank , the client usually knows exactly which donor to use .
The Science of Insemination
Artificial insemination may be carried out in many different ways . The semen may be freshly collected , chilled , or frozen and thawed . It can be inserted into the vagina either through the cervix ( transcervical insemination or TCI ) or by direct injection into the uterus via surgery . Freshly collected semen can be used right away for the breeds that can ’ t breed naturally or for females that won ’ t accept males . Chilled semen can be shipped from a different part of the country or the world to a female ready to be bred . Frozen semen can be stored and used at a much later time , including after the death of the male . The beauty of AI , in general , is that it allows “ long-distance breeding ” to diversify the gene pools as much as possible .
So what does a regular day at the sperm bank look like ? It might start before 7 a . m . if a surgical implantation is scheduled . Surgical AIs are performed at a nearby veterinary clinic by Dr . Dorota Pearson , who has extensive experience and who has collaborated with Carol for more than 10 years . Carol personally delivers the frozen semen to the clinic and oversees that the thawing and handling of the semen are optimal .
If no surgical implantation is scheduled , a regular day at the sperm bank starts at 8 a . m . with the collection of blood
samples for progesterone testing . The most important part of AI — determining when the female is ready — is usually done by measuring her progesterone blood levels . The samples are processed and tested with an ELISA ( enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ) test . The results are ready at 11 a . m ., and the
Above : The front of the Canine Cryobank in San Marcos , San Diego County , California
Left : The “ sperm car ”
PHOTOS COURTESY EVA ENGVALL
MARCH 2017 DOGS IN REVIEW 113