Frequently Asked Questions

The initial collection is $508* which includes the collection, full semen evaluation, processing for freezing, AKC paperwork (if required) and the first year of storage. Subsequent collections for freezing are $295* each. Brucellosis testing must be current within 6 months of each collection. Annual storage will be charged on the anniversary of your initial collection. You will receive an invoice when your annual storage is due. There is a 30 day grace period after that invoice is printed to transfer or use any semen to avoid the storage fee. 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.

The short answer is yes and no. We do not ship internationally from our office. The regulations are ever changing and are set by each country you are exporting to. We refer all of our international shipping clients to Sirius Canine Fertility in California. They will act much like a transport company. Sirius will guide you through the required paperwork, health records and freezing process. Once they request the collection be performed we will collect and freeze here in our office via the method they request. The semen is then shipped from our office to Sirius in California where they will take over possession and export to the desired international location. All normal fees apply here as far as collection for freezing and shipping to California. You will need to contact Sirius directly for their fee schedule. International shipping can take months to arrange and Sirius must be contacted BEFORE the semen is collected and frozen.

A copy of your dog’s registration and the dog’s DNA profile number. If you do not have a DNA number, we will have a kit available for you at the office. All registered AKC dogs must have DNA done in order to register the litter from frozen semen. If your dog is being collected for Sirius please bring all paperwork from Sirius.

We use straws to freeze in and will not know the number of straws needed per breeding until after the entire process is finished. A test thaw is always done at the end of the freezing process to evaluate how each dog's semen recovers after freezing. This information is what aids us in determining how many straws will be needed for each "breeding." A "breeding" is defined as enough live motile normal sperm cells for one insemination.

Collecting the dog is painless and most the time enjoyable for the dog. If we have access to a female in season we will often place her in front of the male being collected to promote a more “natural” breeding environment. This will often focus the male dog and he will tend to be more willing to give, and become more comfortable in the situation. Please disclose any behavior issues if you know your dog has any anxiety or issues with strangers, veterinarians, being touched in various areas or with other dogs. The collection is a manual collection. The bulbus glandis is stimulated and the ejaculate is generally obtained within minutes. The penis is never stimulated. The manual collection is intended to simulate a natural tie. Usually the first and second fractions of three in the semen are collected. The third fraction is a clear prostatic fluid that the dog will continue to ejaculate for a few minutes after the collection has finished. It is normal for the dog to continue ejaculating and the penis to be engorged for a period of time. Eventually, sometimes within seconds, sometimes extended minutes, the bulbus and penis will soften and retract back up into the sheath. The dog will go back to his normal behavior as if nothing has happened. Some dogs may be a little tired.

We will ask you to bring your male in early morning of one of our freezing days. Your appointment will generally take around 30 minutes after which you can take your dog home. The actual freezing process takes many hours. We will usually call you to let you know how the semen looked post thaw, as it is difficult to assess how each dog’s semen will thaw after the freeze. A report will be emailed or mailed to you within 48 hours.

NO. If the semen looks as though it may not be suitable for producing at least one breeding, we will advise you of that. If you chose to freeze the semen anyway, we will make a note of that and it will accompany the semen to where ever you chose to have the semen shipped to for the insemination.

If the motility is too low going into the freeze. Poor recovery after the freeze and thaw. High abnormalities Excessive white blood cells Unusual or high amounts of debris that inhibit the semen Extremely low count

We will collect your dog and evaluate the semen. If there is no semen seen or it is an extremely small amount and an analysis is not done the cost is $40* for the collection. If there is semen and a full evaluation is done and the semen should not be kept at our advising, the cost is $75*. If the semen is collected, evaluated and frozen with a poor recovery and you chose not to keep it, the cost is $380*. With all full evaluations you will receive in the mail or email a copy of a full evaluation of the semen for your records.

There are so many variables involved with how the semen looks and behaves. It can range from age, environment, health, genetics, injuries, infections, mental health, breed, medications and physiology…and on and on.

The sooner the better, as long as your dog is at least 1 year old. Many people wait until their dog is aged to collect for freezing but many dogs' semen quality decreases as they mature into their senior years. Testicles may not produce as many sperm cells, have more abnormal sperm cells, sperm cells are not motile, or any combination of the above the semen collected may not be viable for freezing. Some sperm cells will be lost during the freezing process, even when done perfectly with perfect quality semen, so the more viable sperm cells in each collection the better the chance of it thawing well. The other consideration is the potential that your male could pass away at a younger age then expected whether it be from accident or illness. Even if your male does not pass away but experiences a major health event, his semen quality could be temporarily or permanently affected.

All accounts must be current with no balance owing. Before semen can be released, you will need to fill out a SEMEN RELEASE FORM. This form was in your initial packet you received after your dog’s semen was stored. It was included with the invoice. You may also find this form on our website, www.smithvethosp.com , under forms. This form is critical in order to start the release process. NO SEMEN LEAVES OUR FACILITY WITHOUT A SIGNED SEMEN RELEASE FORM NOR WILL BE USED IN HOUSE FOR BREEDING UNLESS THE OWNER OF THE semen IS PRESENT. The minute your female comes into season, please fill that out and fax or e-mail it to our office after touching base with us via phone. You may leave the “when to ship” part blank and call us a few days before you need the semen. Semen should not ship on a Friday or Holiday Weekend if at all possible. Please note there are no "STAT" fees but we cannot ship frozen semen out without a MINIMUM of 48 hours notice.

The semen is shipped in a 30 pound, liquid nitrogen dry shipper. The semen is kept in deep freeze of -190ºC. There is no alternative to shipping in this container. We ship Fed-Ex. We do not use personal or business shipping accounts, as it does not allow us to have access to information we need if the shipment is lost or delayed. Customers are also welcome to pick up frozen semen in person at our office using their own shipping container or renting one of ours.

We charge $215* for semen prep, tank rental is $80* for the first 7 days and $25* per day after that. The rest of the cost is for shipping. The shipping cost is dependent on where it is shipping to and how quickly it needs to be there. A typical shipment within the United States ranges between $300-$600*. This includes the return label to have the tank sent back to us. Semen will only by shipped after payment is received in full. This can be done in person via cash or over the phone with a credit card. If you need to use an alternate payment method, the funds will need to be processed (such as a check) and cashed well before the shipment can be shipped. These shipping costs are subject to change on a daily basis as Fed Ex is constantly updating their system. Your charge today may be different than next months.

Yes, we will collect, evaluate and extend semen to be shipped domestically overnight.

The day of the collection we must be notified via phone that you have an outgoing shipment by 9:30am eastern time. At that phone call you will also make an appointment for the same day collection. At the time of your appointment collection will be done. Collecting the dog is painless and most the time enjoyable for the dog. If we have access to a female in season we will often place her in front of the male being collected to promote a more “natural” breeding environment. This will often focus the male dog and he will tend to be more willing to give, and become more comfortable in the situation. Please disclose any behavior issues if you know your dog has any anxiety or issues with strangers, veterinarians, being touched in various areas or with other dogs. The collection is a manual collection. The bulbus glandis is stimulated and the ejaculate is generally obtained within minutes. The penis is never stimulated. The manual collection is intended to simulate a natural tie. Usually the first and second fraction of three in the semen are collected. The third fraction is a clear prostatic fluid that the dog will continue to ejaculate for a few minutes after the collection has finished. It is normal for the dog to continue ejaculating and the penis to be engorged for a period of time. Eventually, sometimes within seconds, sometimes extended minutes, the bulbus glandis and penis will soften and retract back up into the sheath. The dog will go back to his normal behavior as if nothing has happened. Some dogs may be a little tired. Once the collection is complete, you are free to leave.

We ask that stud owners alert us to a pending semen shipment as soon as the bitch owner notifies the start of her heat cycle. This allows us to more easily be able to schedule a shipment collection the day it is needed. A Fresh-Chilled Semen Shipment Authorization Form must be completed and submitted via fax or email (or USPS if time allows) PRIOR to the collection appointment. We also highly recommend a semen chill test be done once (at least one week prior to shipping collection appointment) before a stud owner offers shipped semen to the public. This includes collection, motility and morphology evaluation as well as concentration and processing for shipping. The semen is then stored to simulate shipping and will be re-evaluated at 24 and 48 hours to determine viability. This ensures the male ships well in the extender typically used and semen will be viable upon receipt after shipping. If the chill test is not positive, other semen extender can be used. The cost for this test is $250.

A fresh-chilled semen appointment is $195*. This includes semen collection, motility assessment, concentration and processing for shipping. Actual shipping fees are in addition to this fee, depending on location and day of the week as well as desired time of delivery. We use Fed-Ex overnight, at this point standard shipping averages $100-$175*. Fees are subject to change via Fed-Ex. We are happy to use an approved canine semen shipping box that either the stud owner or bitch owner provides at no additional charge. This must be brought in at time of collection appointment with the freezer packs FROZEN or shipped/dropped off to the office any time prior to the planned collection. Our boxes are also available for purchase or rent. There is an additional $95* fee when using our box. A refund of $75* will be provided upon the return of our box in good usable condition. A brucellosis test can and should be performed at least every 6 months on any stud dog being used no matter the breeding method!! Brucellosis testing is sent out to outside lab, results can take 3-4 days to come back. The fee for that test is $110*.

If after collection and evaluation it is determined that the semen quality is not high enough to ship the stud owner will be notified. The stud owner and bitch owner can then decide if they would like to proceed with the shipment or use a different stud or breeding method. If the motility is too low, high abnormalities, excessive white blood cells, unusual or high amounts of debris that inhibit the semen or extremely low count determine the quality is too low for a viable breeding, the stud owner will be notified prior to shipment. If neither the stud nor bitch owner can be reached via phone by Fed-Ex pick up the semen WILL BE SHIPPED and charged. If the office is not notified via phone by 9:30am eastern time the day of collection and shipment, a collection will not be scheduled. This time restraint is determined by Fed-Ex not by Smith Vet. The only exception to this is if the extended semen will be picked up by a personal driver or if the stud owner or representative is willing to drive the extended semen directly to the Fed-Ex hub at the airport.