steroid shots to older males?
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poteetkennels
- Posts: 224
- Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 5:18 pm
- Location: Middletown, OHIO 45042
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steroid shots to older males?
this one is new to me, i had talked to a guy that has a very nice stud dog but is maybe say not up to date on all there is to know. the dog he has is getting a little age, turned 10 in march. and was worried about his sperm count (his budget does not allow for testing) and said he was told to give him a steroid/testosterone shot before breeding. now this is new to me and i was planning on asking my vet monday but would like your in put please. now i do know in humans when doing this over time it will shut down your body's natural ability to create testosterone on its own, is this the same for hounds? and will it effect the sperm count? well of course he did this and bread his bitch, he has another bitch coming in and i told him to hold off on doing this untill i could find some help. so with the other 2 questions in mind, add this. If it is harm full could it effect him long term? will he recover? and just plain out what is your opinion? thank you and will be watching closely.
Re: steroid shots to older males?
cheap way to build a sperm count=add wheat germ oil (high in vitamin e) to its feed,add saw palmetto(prostrate health)
gun is a t/c-14"barrel
camera=http://www.vio-pov.com/products/pov_1.php
sight is-http://www.eotech-inc.com/
album of alot of kills =http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa95/madcatter69/
camera=http://www.vio-pov.com/products/pov_1.php
sight is-http://www.eotech-inc.com/
album of alot of kills =http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa95/madcatter69/
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TheLittleBlackBook
- Posts: 470
- Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:51 pm
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Re: steroid shots to older males?
What Madcatter said is true.
Regarding steroid use, if you're going to go that route, you need to go to a true reproductive vet (not a standard vet) for a full evaluation of your dog's semen. There are many reasons any given elder male may have reproductive problems, ranging from infection, to poor nutrition, to low hormone levels, to basic congenital defects that cannot be corrected. Even if hormonal therapy is indicated, the "steroids" used to enhance reproductive potential are NOT the same as the performance-enhancing steroids used for athletic reasons. They are totally-different. Basic testosterone carries too many side-effects and performance-enhancing(anabolic) steroids are not what you need either. The steroids which enhance reproductive fertility typically involve leutenizing hormones (LH), follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH), and/or gonadatropin-releasing hormones (GnRH). But whether your particular dog even needs them has yet to be determined.
The truth is, the layman use of incorrect "steroids" on one's dogs to make them "more fertile" is like a monkey fiddling with a Swiss watch ... he simply doesn't understand what makes it tick ... and he sure isn't going to make anything work better by fiddling with it. He is only going to make things worse.
Thus my advice is to go to a true reproductive vet and get a full semen evaluation of your male. Absent this, I would run a course of doxycycline through him for two weeks to combat any potential bacterial infections. Also, make sure he is in a cool spot, as elevated temperatures (whether by fever or by outside environment) can and will damage semen. Blood infections like tick fever, ehrlichia, mycoplasmas, etc. can all cause fever, which can devastate sperm quality, and doxycycline knocks all of these buggers into remission, without throwing the dog's whole body out of whack like improper sterioid use can.
From a basic nutritional perspective, I would supplement his feed with healthy additives like wheat germ oil, saw palmetto, as well as tribulus for a more effective and natural way to boost his semen count, again without the possibility of ill-effect ... and I would also make sure his base feed truly is an excellent-quality base feed (as opposed to corn-based, cheap kibble).
Finally, remember that what you do "today" for his sperm will not effect it appreciably for another two months. You cannot give a dog with a low sperm count a teaspoon of wheat germ oil "today"---and expect his sperm count to be perfect "tomorrow." There is no magic shot or magic pill that works like that. Even the appropriate hormone-therapy from a true reproductive vet will take about 2 months to really see improvement.
In closing, if you really want to boost your male's fertility, then "best practice" involves (1) a full examination from a competent reproductive vet to get a true understanding of what the problem is, (2) a cleansing bacterial regimen to deal with any potential infective issues, (3) the long-term commitment to feed top-quality nutrition, and (4) the long-term commitment to give periodic top-quality supplements.
Good luck.
.
Regarding steroid use, if you're going to go that route, you need to go to a true reproductive vet (not a standard vet) for a full evaluation of your dog's semen. There are many reasons any given elder male may have reproductive problems, ranging from infection, to poor nutrition, to low hormone levels, to basic congenital defects that cannot be corrected. Even if hormonal therapy is indicated, the "steroids" used to enhance reproductive potential are NOT the same as the performance-enhancing steroids used for athletic reasons. They are totally-different. Basic testosterone carries too many side-effects and performance-enhancing(anabolic) steroids are not what you need either. The steroids which enhance reproductive fertility typically involve leutenizing hormones (LH), follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH), and/or gonadatropin-releasing hormones (GnRH). But whether your particular dog even needs them has yet to be determined.
The truth is, the layman use of incorrect "steroids" on one's dogs to make them "more fertile" is like a monkey fiddling with a Swiss watch ... he simply doesn't understand what makes it tick ... and he sure isn't going to make anything work better by fiddling with it. He is only going to make things worse.
Thus my advice is to go to a true reproductive vet and get a full semen evaluation of your male. Absent this, I would run a course of doxycycline through him for two weeks to combat any potential bacterial infections. Also, make sure he is in a cool spot, as elevated temperatures (whether by fever or by outside environment) can and will damage semen. Blood infections like tick fever, ehrlichia, mycoplasmas, etc. can all cause fever, which can devastate sperm quality, and doxycycline knocks all of these buggers into remission, without throwing the dog's whole body out of whack like improper sterioid use can.
From a basic nutritional perspective, I would supplement his feed with healthy additives like wheat germ oil, saw palmetto, as well as tribulus for a more effective and natural way to boost his semen count, again without the possibility of ill-effect ... and I would also make sure his base feed truly is an excellent-quality base feed (as opposed to corn-based, cheap kibble).
Finally, remember that what you do "today" for his sperm will not effect it appreciably for another two months. You cannot give a dog with a low sperm count a teaspoon of wheat germ oil "today"---and expect his sperm count to be perfect "tomorrow." There is no magic shot or magic pill that works like that. Even the appropriate hormone-therapy from a true reproductive vet will take about 2 months to really see improvement.
In closing, if you really want to boost your male's fertility, then "best practice" involves (1) a full examination from a competent reproductive vet to get a true understanding of what the problem is, (2) a cleansing bacterial regimen to deal with any potential infective issues, (3) the long-term commitment to feed top-quality nutrition, and (4) the long-term commitment to give periodic top-quality supplements.
Good luck.
.