A sperm test is one of the most important steps to ensure your male is suitable for stud. It can offer an element of trust to those who decide to use your stud dog as it offers proof of tested sperm quality. As part of our canine sperm analysis procedure, we evaluate canine sperm count, motility (standard and progressive), morphology, and other factors. Thanks to our experience and specialist technology, we can accurately predict the success rate of your stud dog.

The average cost of a dog sperm test is £40.

Included in this cost is a detailed analysis of the quality of your dog’s sperm. A sperm count can be determined and displayed with the units “million per ml”, indicating the amount of sperm cells hosted per millilitre of semen.

For example:

150 million / ml

If the male has produced 10ml of semen, we must multiply 150 million by 10.

This means he has around 1.5 billion sperm cells in 10ml of semen.

If you’re paying costly stud fees, you want to be sure that your stud dog’s sperm is the healthiest it can be to ensure a successful pregnancy. A sperm count in the 150-500 million sperm per millimetre is the optimal range for successful breeding. We would expect a good semen sample to have less than 10% abnormal sperm with at least 70% forward motility.

As part of our male dog fertility testing, we assess the following factors:

• Canine sperm count
• Canine sperm count
• Sperm motility
• Forward motility
• Sperm morphology
• Volume
• Bacteria (for infections)

Progressive motility refers to the quality of forward motion of the sperm cells. Non-progressive sperm refers to the movement of sperm that are not forwardly progressive, or sperm that swim in very tight circles.

When assessing the sperm quality of a dog, there are many important factors to consider. These may include:

• Progressive motility
• Motility
• Concentration of semen
• Sperm morphology

And more.

However, it is also vital to take into account the health of the stud dog and any possible hereditary conditions that they may have. This check can be performed at a veterinary clinic.

Typically, a good dog sperm count ranges between 100 – 300 million sperm per ml of semen.

However, for this sperm to be of good quality, it must have at least 60-70% progressively motile sperm and normal morphology.

Sperm morphology refers to the quality of individual sperm cells. Those without deformities are of higher standards, and are more likely to lead to a successful pregnancy in dogs.

We recommend you perform a complete test on your dogs sperm. Canine Scanning offer this service at our canine reproduction clinic. A complete report can be offered of which details the quality of the male’s sperm.

Click here to get in touch and book an assessment.

Lots of factors can affect the quality of sperm. It may be helpful to compare your dog to a human and ask the following question.

What can influence the quality of human sperm?

Those same elements are often true for dogs:

• Bacterial and viral infections
• Medications
• Diet
• Exercise
• Second-hand smoke

Dog semen analysis is a crucial element of the breeding process. We accept the chilled semen sample either via FedEx, or we can take a sample from your stud dog at our Liverpool premises. Our quick, effective and non-invasive canine sperm analysis is then undertaken in laboratory conditions using state-of-the-art equipment.

Once we’ve evaluated the quality and volume of the semen sample, we’ll explain the results in plain English and discuss your options with you. Most dogs are sexually mature by 12 months and should therefore be able to provide us with a good sample. After five years of age, sperm quality can decrease in some cases. Having said that, many older stud dogs still have excellent fertility and are more than capable of producing litters of puppies.

Our canine reproduction experts have more than 30 years’ experience of breeding dogs. At Canine Scanning, we’ve built up a solid reputation in the industry for providing the best possible services that always put the dog’s health and welfare first.