We have been working with frozen canine semen since 2000 when this company was started. Bridgett started out as going to kennels and private homes, as well as dog shows all over the country as the first mobile freezing center in Northern California.
We store the frozen semen on site at our office in Grass Valley, California. We offer semen freezing services at our office in Grass Valley as well as at dog shows all over Northern California. Our show schedule is listed on this site for your convenience. We also offer our mobile lab services to kennels and kennel clubs with enough interest. Please reach out via email to inquire about our mobile lab services.
The freezing process begins with a semen collection from your stud dog. We almost always have a teaser bitch available for your dog, if he has particular tastes, please let us know
During the collection, we are evaluating testes size and tone, along with libido on your male. We are watching the collection for any signs of blood, and monitoring not only the volume, but we monitor the individual fractions of the ejaculate while we are collecting.
Once we have collected the sperm-rich fraction of the ejaculate, we then immediately do a full semenalysis. This will include a sperm count, checking motility and morphology to determine if this sample is of good enough quality to put through the freezing process. If it is determined that it meets the parameters to freeze, we then begin the process. The entire freezing process takes about two hours. After the process is complete, we will ALWAYS do a test thaw of the semen, meaning one pellet ( a very minimal part of the collection) will be thawed out to determine what our motility is after freezing. Once we have this number, we can then complete the math and let you know how many breeding units we obtained in the collection. If, after the initial collection there are any issues with the semen (ie low sperm count, etc) we will discuss this with you so you can help determine the best course to take.
You will receive reports after this process is complete. You will have a copy of the semenalysis for your files as well as a copy of the report we will send to the registry on your behalf.
Pricing for Semen work is as follows:
- New Account for semen freezing , includes semenalysis, file set up, registry recording and up to 4 vials ( breeding units) -$415.00 (first year annual storage included)
- Repeat semen collection for freezing ( after initial collection) up to 4 vials ( breeding units)- $300.00
- Additional vials in first or repeat collection, after the first 4 vials- $75.00 each. (if 5 vials on the first collection, the pricing is $415 plus $75)
- Semenalysis only- $100.00
- Annual storage after the first year, per dog, includes all semen stored on that dog, no maximum- $100.00
- Teaser Bitch Fee- $35
- Testicular Harvest Fee (evaluation and freezing not included)- $100
In addition to our normal collection services, we are one of the few facilities offering testicular harvests. Research provided us with a successful program for the recovery, freezing and artificial insemination of canine sperm cells from the testes of dogs that have died or have been neutered. If a healthy stud dog is suddenly injured or passes away, we can perform epidydimal sperm harvest from the testicles to obtain a sample to evaluate and freeze. The testicles must be removed from the dog as soon as possible after passing, by asking your veterinarian to preform a standard neuter. They must then be stored in the refrigerator with saline. They CANNOT be frozen, as this will completely compromise the sample. In most cases, these are unexpected and scheduled as an emergency; we do our best to ensure availability for these situations. Please give us a call ASAP if you need our assistance with a harvest, as time is crucial. We have preformed successful harvests on many emergency cases, including rattlesnake bites, sudden paralysis, and more. If you are considering this option after a planned euthanasia, the testicles must be removed prior to the administration of the euthanasia drug.
DNA Testing
Dog registries all have different requirements for DNA testing of a dog utilizing fresh chilled or frozen semen. Please check with your registry as to what their requirements are for testing and obtain a DNA kit from them. The registry will have a fee to run the test, and those will vary from registry to registry. Once you have received your DNA profile number back, please forward to us to include in your file. If the stud is no longer available, certain DNA testing is available using frozen semen. Please contact us for more information.
Annual storage fees are charged once a year, on the anniversary of when the dog was collected and frozen. These are billed per dog and include as much as is stored on each dog. There is no cap on how much semen can be stored for that one rate, but it is per dog. From the time of invoicing for annual storage, there is a 30 day grace period to transfer or use any semen to avoid the storage fee. If the semen remains after the 30 day period, the full rate will be charged.
There is no prorating of semen storage for any unused time during the one year period.
Our semen release policy is if needing 1-4 breeding units, we guarantee to have it ready within 3 days. If you are needing bulk semen transfer, ( more than 4 breeding units), or records transfer, we reserve the right to take up to 30 days to complete this procedure. In most cases, we can accomplish this within a few days, however, this is not guaranteed or promised. Please plan accordingly.
Shipping Instructions page- MAKE NOTE SATURDAY SHIPMENTS WILL ONLY BE RECEIVED WHEN SCHEDULED PRIOR. ALL FROZEN SEMEN SHIPMENTS SHOULD BE SENT FOR WEEKDAY DELIVERY UNLESS PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED WITH A TECHNICIAN.