Rapid decline in male dog fertility linked to environmental contaminants.

A new study has found the fertility of dogs have suffered a sharp decline over the past three decades. . The research found that sperm quality in a population of stud dogs studied over a 26-year period had fallen significantly. The research, published in the academic journal Scientific Reports, found that sperm quality in a population of stud dogs studied over a 26-year period had fallen significantly.The work has shown a potential link to environmental contaminants, after they were able to demonstrate that chemicals found in the sperm and testes of adult dogs -- and in some commercially available pet foods -- had a detrimental effect on sperm function at the concentrations detected. The work centred on five specific breeds of dogs; Labrador retriever, golden retriever, curly coat retriever, border collie and German shepherd and between 42 and 97 dogs studied every year. Semen was collected from the dogs and analysed to assess the percentage of sperm that showed a normal forward progressive pattern of motility and that appeared normal under a microscope (morphology). Over the 26 years of the study, they found a striking decrease in the percentage of normal motile sperm. Between 1988 and 1998, sperm motility declined by 2.5 per cent per year and following a short period when stud dogs of compromised fertility were retired from the study, sperm motility from 2002 to 2014 continued to decline at a rate of 1.2% per year. In addition, the team discovered that the male pups generated from the stud dogs with declining semen quality, had an increased incidence of cryptorchidism, a condition in which the testes of pups fail to correctly descend into the scrotum. Sperm collected from the same breeding population of dogs, and testes recovered from dogs undergoing routine castration, were found to contain environmental contaminants at concentrations able to disrupt sperm motility and viability when tested. The same chemicals that disrupted sperm quality, were also discovered in a range of commercially available dog foods including brands specifically marketed for puppies. This is a vital key to breeding success,do not just assume the stud is fit with fertile sperm cells, a breeding soundness test is very necessary,so before you take an already screened bitch to the stud make sure the results of the test is positive. Breeders cannot afford to take the risk, visit your vet to test the bitch and stud before you mate.