Cali's Pregnancy Journey- Week 1: Mating & Fertilization

Follow TVK through Cali's pregnancy journey from conception to delivery. We will cover the usual weekly developments as well as details specific to Cali, our future mama dog. This was our first experience using stored frozen semen in our breeding program, and we chose Transcervical Insemination (TCI) for this breeding.

TVK Manhattan Project aka Cali Girl

What is TCI?

Transcervical Insemination (TCI) is a minimally invasive technique that uses a small endoscope to place semen directly into the uterus. By bypassing the cervix, TCI increases the likelihood of successful fertilization, especially when using frozen semen, as we chose for this breeding. Fresh and chilled semen can also be used with this procedure. The TCI procedure is especially beneficial for breeders wishing to use stud dogs located far away, such as Rhino, who was based in Las Vegas at the time of collection.

Breeding Timing: Progesterone Tracking

Timing is everything when it comes to TCI. Cali went in multiple times through her heat cycle to assess her progesterone levels which determine when ovulation occurs.

1. Monitoring Cali's Heat Cycle

   • We can somewhat predict when our females will come into heat based on their typical cycles, between 6-9 months. Day 1 of a dogs heat cycles is when the first visible signs of vaginal bleeding occur. Cali came into heat on 5/16/25.

   • Next step was Cali's initial vet appointment where the reproductive vet consults on our goals for this breeding and make sure Cali is healthy enough to be bred, is up to date on vaccinations, and clear of any diseases, such as Lyme or heartworms. She had her first progesterone test at this time as well.

2. Progesterone Testing

   • Progesterone levels can be determined by a blood serum test. You see a rise in progesterone levels at the time of the LH surge and it increases through ovulation.

   • Cali went back in 2 days after her initial testing for the next progesterone test prior to the Memorial day weekend. Thankfully, her numbers were still very low and we would wait another 4 days before testing again.

   • Once the progesterone levels reach 5-8 ng/ml we can gather ovulation has occurred. Now we can determine timing of the TCI procedure.

     • The TCI procedure is performed at various times based on the type of semen used and their survival rates in the female.

       • Fresh: 2-4 days post-ovulation

       • Chilled: 3-4 days post-ovulation

       • Frozen: 3-5 days post-ovulation

   • Cali was bred approximately 3-4 days post ovulation.

The TCI Procedure

The TCI procedure is quick, usually taking under an hour. The longest part was waiting for the semen to "wake up" for analysis prior to the TCI. Rhino's collection woke up fairly nicely with good morphology.

Our veterinarian used an endoscope with a catheter inside to reach the cervix and deposit the semen directly into the cervix.

The whole experience was seamless and significantly less invasive than anticipated. Cali was not a huge fan of the procedure but we were able to keep her calm during and after the procedure.

Now what do we do while we wait?

Following the procedure, Cali went home to rest. The vet advised to keep her calm and limit her activity to increase the chances of the fertilized eggs implanting successfully. She is getting spoiled and being kept in a room on her own where she can relax.

There are no visible signs of pregnancy during week 1 no matter which way the breeding occurred. After implantation is when the hormones start to ramp up and subtitle changes may be able to be seen in the female.

We will mark our calendars with all the important milestones in the meantime! Stay tuned for next weeks update on week 2 of Cali's pregnancy.