Good breeding means good planning: UF launches small animal reproduction service

When it comes to making babies, the animal world is not so different from the human one -- planning is everything. In an effort to help animal breeders better manage reproduction-associated diseases and improve pregnancy success rates, the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine has launched a new service focused solely on small animal reproduction.

“We will offer cutting-edge methods to diagnose and treat both reproductive diseases and infertility cases in male and female animals, mostly dogs and cats,” said John Verstegen, D.V.M., Ph.D., who heads the service in partnership with his wife, Karine Onclin, D.V.M., Ph.D. Verstegen is a founding member of the European Society for Small Animal Reproduction and of the European College for Animal Reproduction. The couple moved to Gainesville last summer from Belgium, where they had worked at the University of Liege. Their UF clinic opened in early September.

Among the tools the couple plans to offer breeders are a variety of hormone tests as well as vaginal smears, vaginoscopy, uterine endoscopy and endoscopic uterine drainage.

“We also will be able to provide sonography of the reproductive tract, including sonographic detection of follicular growth and ovulation to improve fertilization and artificial insemination success,” Verstegen said, adding that the service’s main activities will include pregnancy monitoring through Doppler ultrasonography, endocrine testing, parturition monitoring and neonatal care.

Jackie Kensler, a border terrier breeder who lives in St. Augustine and is active in the Border Terrier Club of America, was Onclin’s first UF client.

“Both female dogs I brought to Dr. Onclin had failed to be successfully bred under previous attempts,” Kensler said. “Because of Dr. Onclin’s breeding management program, one was successfully bred and delivered four puppies that are now 6 or 7 weeks old. In Dr. Onclin’s hands, we were successful.”

Kensler said breeders invest a great deal of effort, expense and emotion in hopes of arranging a successful mating, frequently transporting their dogs long distances.

“Therefore it behooves us to invest that little extra to make sure we have an optimum opportunity to succeed,” she said. “Dr. Onclin provides us with that.”

For more information or to make an appointment with the Small Animal Reproduction Service, call (352) 392-4700, ext. 4700.