Buying Semen
Stud fees and the cost of frozen semen in our breed run about the same as the cost of a puppy, which is in the $2,500 – $3,500 range.
Shipping Frozen Semen
Because semen must be kept at cryogenic temperatures, shipping it overnight can be expensive. I just didn’t realize quite HOW expensive, however. I had heard that it could cost about $600 – $700 to ship, but no one mentioned that this was only the carrier’s fee. Our shipping was $690 via Fed Ex First Overnight.
There was also a
- $150 semen preparation fee,
- $125 tank rental, and
- $180 for return shipping on the tank
The total was nearer to $1,200 than to $700 — and that shocked me.
Veterinary Expenses
We visited the vet for a pre-breeding exam a couple of months before she came in season and got annual exams updated — and that was about $150.
We did 4 progesterone tests (one Friday & then one on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the next week) and those ran $118 each. We did a complete blood panel and urinalysis (they aspirated urine from her bladder with a needle since she was in season and a urine sample collected the old-fashioned way would have been contaminated). That annual exam with bloodwork, UA, and vaccinations was north of $300.
The surgical insemination was $300 (which was starting to sound very reasonable to us!), though there were a few additional fees related to anesthesia and pain meds. She was boarded for two nights because we didn’t know whether the surgery would need to be early in the morning or late in the afternoon (turned out to be late, so she got 2 nights of a spa vacay!). Our bill for the insemination, boarding, and 2 (of 4) progesterone tests was just under $700.
The sonogram to confirm the pregnancy was $65. Our vet doesn’t count puppies via sonogram, as his experience says that if the sonogram count is correct, it was only by dumb luck.
We will do a “puppy count” x-ray on June 26th after their little spines have calcified so we can be forewarned!
The x-ray on Day 52 was $95, and the Amazing Dr. B sat with me a while and answered some last-minute questions I had as well.
Myra Savant Harris seminar, streaming (rental): $20 (this is worth its weight in GOLD).
Start-Up Costs for Whelping Supplies
Veterinary Supplies
Many of these items are one-time expenses, but I haven’t found a consolidated list of items with links that was very helpful, so I hope those with puppies in their future find some use in this one.
We have some antibiotics, oxytocin, and fluids in case we need them for the delivery. We have access to veterinary supplies via a dog show vet, but if you do not, you will have to discuss each item with your repro vet. My vet was a bit aghast at my stash, but I promised him I would only use each item upon his direction.
*Note: Oxytocin and Dopram are very controversial for home use. Accept the advice of your breeder (if yours is awesome like mine) or vet about what you should have on hand.
Syringes: $14
K-Y Jelly: $3.35
Rectal Thermometer
Probe Covers: $5
Whelping Boxes
We bought two used Jonart whelping boxes (long story why we got two) — one is 30″ x 30″ and the other is 36″ x 36″ — both have whelping pen extensions & insulated floors — and each was $600. Both were delivered to me at the same dog show in Perry, GA!
The Jonart boxes are at the high end of the market and are incredibly sturdy. Wooden boxes can hold bacteria, so I chose to avoid them.
Whelping Box Liners
I bought a variety of liners and pads to see what works best:
Two small Durawhelp pads:
These seem to have an off-gassing smell for a few days after unwrapping, so air them out well. Otherwise, I really like them and think they are comparable to vet bedding / vet fleece.
I really like the Dura-Whelp pad so far!
Improvia Whelping pads (2 pack of 36″ x 41″) = $40
These are . . . just larger washable pads & seem . . . fine.
ProFleece
Profleece Ultimate (in pink, obviously) — 2 pieces:
This stuff is phenomenal, and the girls love it! It’s also great for crate bedding.
Forceps: $4
Surgical Scissors: $5
Whelping Towels
Disposable Pads for Whelping
Deelee Catheter
Bulb Syringe
Headband with Light & Magnification (nail trims):
Tiny Toes Grinders
Baby Wipes: $18 for 8 packs
Vaccine Records: $11
Texture Mats: 2 for $24
Play Gym
I built a play gym myself with 1/2″ PVC and eight corner pieces:
- $20 for eight corner pieces and
- $10 for two 1/2″ pvc pieces (my first cube was a 12″ cube)
- $4 for a bag of toys at Goodwill
- $6 for plastic links
Each straight piece is cut to 12″ long. You need 12 straight pieces and eight 3-way corners. To be fair, I already owned a PVC pipe cutter, which runs about $20 if you need one (don’t mess with a hacksaw; life is too short).
Heating Pad
This heating pad is pricey at $50, but it has an option for the warmth to stay on.
These are the best underpads / washable pee pads for house training (and we use them for crate pads and whelping box pads, too!) We like both the larger (34″ x 36″) and also the narrower (23″ x 36″) pads.
PuppyWarmer Incubator & O2 Concentrator
I agonized over purchasing this as the investment is substantial, and I had access to borrow one. My breeder pointed out that if you can save a single puppy, it will have been worth it.
Room thermometers for the incubator and whelping room: $17 for 4.
Distilled water for the O2 Concentrator ($1 at the grocery store)
Saline for the Nebulizer (haven’t bought it yet & I may have a DIY recipe)
Miracle Nipples & Bottles from Karen Cusick (veribas@sbcglobal.net). I ordered the “toy set.” $32.50 + $11.50 shipping = $44
Early Neurological Stimulation Supplies
- Lemongrass: $8
- Allspice: $6
- Cloves: $9
- Star Anise: $6
- Chamomile: $15
- Lavender: $16
- Apple: $8
- Alpaca: $10
- Leather (scraps from Etsy): $15
- Rabbit (weird, but we generally have dried rabbit feet around for the dogs to chew — I also just remembered we have THREE swamp rabbits in the freezer)
- Dirt (from the yard)
- Rubber (tennis balls from a discount store): $3
- Cinnamon (from the cabinet)
- Parsley (from the cabinet)
- Black Tea (from the cabinet)
- Oatmeal (from the cabinet)
- Coconut (from the cabinet)
- Pine Pellets (from the garage)
Iodine: $3 at WalMart
AKC Reunite Microchips: $107.50 for 5
I was tempted to order 25 because they are almost $5 less per unit, but I’ll get through this litter before deciding to buy in bulk.