Vet’s 2025 Guide to Canine Sperm Abnormalities – Causes, Diagnosis & Care 🐾✨🩺

By Dr. Duncan Houston BVSc

💡 What Are Sperm Abnormalities?

Canine sperm abnormalities encompass issues with sperm count (oligozoospermia/azoospermia), motility (asthenozoospermia), and morphology (teratozoospermia). These defects can cause subfertility or infertility in breeding dogs.

🚩 Causes & Risk Factors

• 🦠 Infections – bacterial prostatitis or epididymitis (e.g., Brucella, Mycoplasma) impair sperm quality.
• 🌡️ Fever/toxins/heat stress may affect testicular function causing poor motility or morphology.
• 🔧 Testicular disorders – degeneration, cryptorchidism, trauma, tumors affecting sperm production.
• 🧬 Genetics or congenital – inherited defects or persistent primary abnormalities.
• 💊 Medications/endocrine issues – like corticosteroids, ketoconazole, hypothyroidism.
• 🕵️ Frequent collection can temporarily reduce quality due to epididymal depletion.

👀 Clinical Signs & When to Assess

• 🚫 Infertility during natural mating or AI attempts is the most common sign.
• 🔍 Poor ejaculation (aspermia, no sperm) or unusual fluid (blood, pus).
• 🛁 Discolored semen (yellow/brown) may indicate infection or contamination.
• 🐾 Brucella infection often causes irreversible infertility.

🧪 Diagnostic Approach

1. History & exam: breeding history, illness, medications, scrotal/testicular palpation.
2. Semen analysis: volume, sperm count (≥200 million normal), motility (>80‑90%), morphology (≥80% normal).
3. Urine & culture: assess for prostatitis or Brucella.
4. Bloodwork & hormones: CBC/chemistry, testosterone, LH/FSH, thyroid, cortisol.
5. Ultrasound: evaluate testes and prostate.
6. Advanced tests: sperm DNA, acrosome integrity, culture & sensitivity.
7. Repeat testing: semen changes over ~60 days; repeat to confirm.

🛠 Treatment Strategies

1. Manage Infections & Inflammation

• 💊 Treat bacterial prostatitis/epididymitis with culture-specific antibiotics.
• 🛁 Prostatic massage or warm compresses may support therapy.

2. Address Testicular Disorders

• ✂️ Castrate cryptorchid or tumor‑bearing dogs; these are infertile risks.
• ⚠️ Manage testicular degeneration or orchitis—limited reversibility.

3. Adjust Medications & Treat Endocrine Issues

• 🔧 Discontinue toxic drugs; address hypothyroidism or adrenal disease.
• 📆 Reassess semen after eliminating insults.

4. Lifestyle & Breeding Management

• 🛌 Allow sexual rest (~60 days) before repeat semen testing.
• 📅 Suggest repeated matings around ovulation to increase success.
• 🏥 For transient defects, artificial insemination (fresh/frozen) may help.

📈 Prognosis & Outcomes

• ✅ Temporary, treatable causes like infection often improve fertility.
• ⚠️ Genetic or irreversible causes (degeneration, Brucella, congenital defects) often result in permanent subfertility.
• 🌍 Even partially fertile dogs can sire if breeding care is timed and supported.

🏡 Ask A Vet App Support Tools 📲🐶

• 📆 Reminders for semen collection dates, medication and follow-up visits.
• 📊 Track sperm count, motility, and morphology over time.
• 📸 Upload semen reports or ultrasound snapshots.
• 🔔 Alerts for declines below fertility thresholds.
• 📚 Access in-app guides: semen collection, infection prevention, and breeding strategies.

🔑 Key Takeaways 🧠✅

• Sperm abnormalities result from infection, testicular issues, toxins, endocrine, or genetics.
• Thorough diagnostics—semen analysis, imaging, bloodwork—are essential.
• Treat infections, manage testicular causes, adjust medications for better outcomes.
• Repeat testing, sexual rest, and AI can optimize breeding success.
• Ask A Vet empowers breeders with tracking, remote review, and care alerts.

🩺 Final Thoughts ❤️

In 2025, diagnosing and treating canine sperm abnormalities combines science and empathy. Early detection, targeted therapy, and reproductive planning—bolstered by digital tools like Ask A Vet—can help many breeding dogs overcome fertility challenges and achieve successful outcomes. 🐾✨

Visit AskAVet.com and download the Ask A Vet app to log semen data, receive breeding reminders, upload diagnostic reports, set alerts, and collaborate with your veterinarian anytime. 📲🐶