In March this year, the Veterinary Medical Center’s (VMC) Theriogenology team made history. 

They performed the first successful frozen transcervical insemination (TCI) of a Kromfohrlander in the US, resulting in seven healthy puppies.

 Originally from Germany, the Kromfohrlander was recently accepted under the Foundation Stock Service purebred category with the American Kennel Club in the United States. “There are only 150 of these dogs in the United States,” says Lexi Grillos, DVM, a theriogenology resident, who assisted with the procedure. 

The procedure on the patient, Jazz, highlights the kind of specialty reproductive medical procedures that the VMC team can offer clients whose goal is to help advance official breeds in this country and to keep them genetically healthy. 

Owner Cyndi Lear, a preservation breeder of Kromfohrlander dogs and president of the AKC-recognized breed Kromfohrlander Club of America, brought Jazz to the VMC for appointments over the course of about one week. “We did progesterone timing as well as LH testing with Jazz to determine her ideal fertile window,” Dr. Grillos says. Once the team established Jazz’s fertile window, they performed a transcervical insemination (TCI), which delivers the sperm via a catheter through a scope directly into the uterus. “This helps increase pregnancy rates,” she says. 

The procedure is painless, takes about 30 minutes and doesn’t require any general anesthesia. 

The sire’s frozen semen was shipped to the VMC from Sweden. “Obtaining semen from outside the United States helps to diversify the genetics of the breed,” Dr. Grillos says. 

Four weeks later, it was determined that Jazz was pregnant and she ultimately gave birth to seven healthy puppies. 

“It was a great outcome,” Dr. Grillos says. 

The team is led by Marco Countinho da Silva, DVM, PhD, DACT, clinical professor and section head of the Theriogenology service, who performed Jazz’s TCI; other team members include Dr. Erin Runcan MS, DACT, associate professor, Erin Blevins RVT, head veterinary technician of the service, and veterinary residents Dr. Grillos and Dr. Josh Trumble. Gail McRae, DVM, a residency graduate of Ohio State’s Theriogenology Program, was also involved in Jazz’s case. 

Owner Lear was thrilled with the care Jazz received. “I went to Ohio State because I wanted to go to the best. The reproductive medicine team is expert — they are so knowledgeable and professional.” 

Dr. Grillos and the team want referring veterinarians to know they can provide any range of services. “We’re happy to assist with reproductive cases from the beginning, but we also frequently work with and collaborate with referring veterinarians,” she says. 

In addition to progesterone testing for ovulation timing, the results of which can be provided the same day, the team provides everything from routine breeding management, to elective C-sections and ultrasounds. They also see a wide array of reproductive emergencies and complicated cases. 

“We love what we do here and we like to promote responsible breeding,” Dr. Grillos says.