I am heart broken =*(

lizlikeshugs

Member
Jun 11, 2006
2,856
2
I just got back from the vet and I'm told that my dog has an enlarged prostate and it is causing him some kidney problems. This means I need to neuter him within the week.

Now before everyone makes nasty judgmental comments, there is is a reason why I left him in tact. My dog is my baby and is the sweetest dog, every one who has met him agrees as well. I did not ever plan to breed and sell puppies and run off with the money. Also, he is strictly an indoor house dog and I never let him go outside unsupervised and he does not socialize with any unfixed females, I have always been extremely cautious of this. I wanted puppies from him that I could keep for myself to love (I would have had the puppies fixed so there would not be a population problem) and be part of my family.

So now I am devastated that this will not happen. I much rather never have children of my own than for my dog not to pass on his gentle nature and sweet temper.

I have read that there are sperm banks for dogs, has anyone tried this? What was the procedure like? Anyone know the success rate? Thank you!

Again, no negative comments please, I am already bawling my eyes out.
 
I don't know anything about sperm banks for dogs, but I am sure if you speak with your vet they can help you, or Google the topic. I am sorry for you. Hang in there.
 
Hi Liz... I am sorry for the news. I have personally never encountered any request from clients that wanted their dog's sperm to be frozen, but have experienced clients who wanted with their dog's DNA for cloning. There are labs that do that here in So CA, so I imagine those labs may do it.
Talk to the vet to see if he/she knows such labs, and if not, look up for those labs.
 
I know you love your dog dearly but please don't clone him. One day he will be gone and you will mourn him and eventually be ready to get another pet, and there are millions of animals languishing in shelters who would be every bit as loving and special as your dog is, if you would only give them a chance.
 
I know you love your dog dearly but please don't clone him. One day he will be gone and you will mourn him and eventually be ready to get another pet, and there are millions of animals languishing in shelters who would be every bit as loving and special as your dog is, if you would only give them a chance.


i agree so much.
 
Just to add a note, I didn't mean put the info to encourage anyone about cloning... My opinions aside, Liz wanted to know about sperm banks... I think they do exists...but have never experienced nor known anyone who has done it.
Whatever your thoughts, talk to your vet, Liz... Weigh out your options. Right now, it seems like something has to be done for your dog to ensure that your dog's health is not compromised any further... Enlarged prostate is something that comes with age, as human males experience. You and your vet caught it early enough to intervene, right?
Hang in there and hope your dog gets better!!!
 
sorry about the news. I hope the procedure goes smoothly for him. I'd be interested to know about the sperm banks too, I too have an older dog with his goodies and would love to have his pups some day. I would keep them too.
 
Oh, no, don't clone him either. There is no guarantee the animal will be just like your dog. Plus, there have been health problems for the cloned animals themselves. Dolly the sheep lived half the normal expectancy of a sheep. Turns out that the cloning process has not been perfected yet. Scientists suspect that when the DNA is harvested, some of the vital proteins needed for mitosis are lost.
 
It never crossed my mind to think Liz wanted to clone her dog...! She was just inquiring about sperm bank to pass the line of her dog. Sorry if my comment made people misunderstand:confused1:
 
I just got back from the vet and I'm told that my dog has an enlarged prostate and it is causing him some kidney problems. This means I need to neuter him within the week.

Now before everyone makes nasty judgmental comments, there is is a reason why I left him in tact. My dog is my baby and is the sweetest dog, every one who has met him agrees as well. I did not ever plan to breed and sell puppies and run off with the money. Also, he is strictly an indoor house dog and I never let him go outside unsupervised and he does not socialize with any unfixed females, I have always been extremely cautious of this. I wanted puppies from him that I could keep for myself to love (I would have had the puppies fixed so there would not be a population problem) and be part of my family.

So now I am devastated that this will not happen. I much rather never have children of my own than for my dog not to pass on his gentle nature and sweet temper.

I have read that there are sperm banks for dogs, has anyone tried this? What was the procedure like? Anyone know the success rate? Thank you!

Again, no negative comments please, I am already bawling my eyes out.

I'm sorry, but I think you're being a little bit unrealistic about this. Just because your dog sires puppies does not mean that they'll necessarily inherit his "gentle nature and sweet temper." It's possible, of course, but it seems like you're going into it thinking that his puppies are going to be just like him. You have to remember that it's entirely possible that the puppies could inherit their mother's personality, and act nothing like your dog. Are you really willing to take the risk of raising a number of puppies (for 10+ years) in that case?

Also, have you considered the actual number of puppies that a litter might produce? The average number is around 6, but litters have been known to include more than double that amount. You say that you would keep all the puppies, fix them, and then raise them as your personal pets, but surely you aren't prepared to take care of that many animals in your home? What happens if the female dog (you haven't mentioned where you would get her from, either) has 12 or 15 puppies? Then you'll be charged with finding homes for the ones you can't keep, and if you can't, they'll be put in a shelter. I don't mean to be harsh here, but it just doesn't sound like you've thought this through.

My advice is to be happy that your dog's illness is easily treatable, and that he'll soon be healthy again. There are so many dogs out there (many that probably share your dog's loving, wonderful temperament) who are desperately in need of homes and will be destroyed before they get them. If you are committed to welcoming more dogs into your family, I encourage you to open your door to one who is already here, waiting for a chance.
 
No flames of judgment from me - pet owners' have rights, and you had every right to keep your dog intact. But now, yes, neutering will ease the prostatitis.

There are canine semen Banks - Google ICSB (International Canine Semen Bank), and Clone, Inc. (no they don't clone, that is just the name of the bank). I have my dogs stored with Clone, there is a vet local to me who is a reproductive specialist and he does the procedure, and runs the area's Clone lab/office/vet hospital.

That said, my dogs are purebred show champions, breeds which are very rare (less than 100 in north America), so I wanted to save the genetic material, it could be valuable to the future of the breeds.

You should consider the fact that it can cost $1500.00 + to do a transcervical followed later by a surgical insemination (to maximize the success)- at least in my part of the US. You may have a difficult time finding a ***** owner who wants to have this done to her dog, especially if it is for a mixed-breed litter. (no judgments, just saying).

There are costs associated with storing the frozen semen - I pay around $900.00/year to store 6 males.

Anyhoo, just some things to think about.

It's a bit complicatedand expensive.

I'm not a vet nor do I play one on tv, these were just my experiences with a litter conceived by artificial insemination.

My apologies to the vets on the tpf, if I have made any huge errors, please correct as necessary!
 
Thanks, I found that site last night too and spoke to the doctor too.

I actually did think it through clearly. I wouldn't just pick any dog to carry puppies, just like any human wouldn't just pick up a random woman to be a surrogate mother. I would be looking for another dog with a similar temperament. And again, if they end up without my dog's nature, I would still love them all the same because they are family.

Also, my dog's breed does not have very many puppies at all in a litter. I would say it is nearly impossible they would have 12-15 puppies.
 
I'm sorry, but I think you're being a little bit unrealistic about this. Just because your dog sires puppies does not mean that they'll necessarily inherit his "gentle nature and sweet temper." It's possible, of course, but it seems like you're going into it thinking that his puppies are going to be just like him. You have to remember that it's entirely possible that the puppies could inherit their mother's personality, and act nothing like your dog. Are you really willing to take the risk of raising a number of puppies (for 10+ years) in that case?

Also, have you considered the actual number of puppies that a litter might produce? The average number is around 6, but litters have been known to include more than double that amount. You say that you would keep all the puppies, fix them, and then raise them as your personal pets, but surely you aren't prepared to take care of that many animals in your home? What happens if the female dog (you haven't mentioned where you would get her from, either) has 12 or 15 puppies? Then you'll be charged with finding homes for the ones you can't keep, and if you can't, they'll be put in a shelter. I don't mean to be harsh here, but it just doesn't sound like you've thought this through.

My advice is to be happy that your dog's illness is easily treatable, and that he'll soon be healthy again. There are so many dogs out there (many that probably share your dog's loving, wonderful temperament) who are desperately in need of homes and will be destroyed before they get them. If you are committed to welcoming more dogs into your family, I encourage you to open your door to one who is already here, waiting for a chance.

I completely agree with this.

I am definitely not trying to judge the OP, but there are so many dogs out there who need homes, I just don't understand why someone would want to bring more dogs into the world?

That being said, I do wish the OP's dog a speedy and complete recovery.:yes:
 
Thanks, I found that site last night too and spoke to the doctor too.

I actually did think it through clearly. I wouldn't just pick any dog to carry puppies, just like any human wouldn't just pick up a random woman to be a surrogate mother. I would be looking for another dog with a similar temperament. And again, if they end up without my dog's nature, I would still love them all the same because they are family.

Also, my dog's breed does not have very many puppies at all in a litter. I would say it is nearly impossible they would have 12-15 puppies.

If you are really set on breeding your own puppies rather than providing a home for dogs who are literally dying for one, there are a few more things you need to consider:

Since your dog isn't of show quality but is a purebred, how are you going to find an owner willing to let you artificially inseminate his or her female dog, take care of said female dog, and then absorb the risk that their dog could have serious complications from the pregnancy/birth that could result in her death? There is no way a responsible breeder would allow one of their females to mate with a male that is of inferior standard, so that means you'll either have to find a backyard breeder or buy a female puppy from a pet store with the intention of breeding her later on. For obvious reasons, it's not wise to do either of these things. You seem to think that you'll have the luxury of picking a female with a great temperament, etc., but in reality it will probably be very difficult for you to find an owner of a quality purebred that will let you breed his or her dog. You should be mindful of these things before you invest a ton of money in something that might very well never come to be.

I sympathize with your desire to start a new generation of your dog, because he's obviously a wonderful and great companion, but I really implore you to think about whether this will be a wise decision, let alone a feasible one. Again, check out a purebred rescue in your area at the very least and see if there isn't a dog you might want to give a home to.