Located in a newly-constructed building where many rooms are unoccupied, the laboratory at the Parel Veterinary Hospital’s gynecology department is generally quiet.
But today, there is plenty of activity and accompanying noise. At the centre of all the action is Joey*, a rottweiler, whose front legs are held tightly by a lab assistant.
Dr Sarita Kelkar-Gulavane, a bespectacled salwar kameez-wearing vet with nice shoulder-length hair, is kneeling on the floor. In her left hand is a collection cup. And in her gloved right, she holds Joey’s penis.
Dr Kelkar-Gulavane is trying to get Joey to donate some sperm. Technically called ‘digital manipulation,’ the procedure, from a human being’s point of view, is really masturbation. Dr Kelkar-Gulavane massages the tip of Joey’s penis (bulbous glandis) till Joey ejaculates into the collection cup. And why does she want all this semen? In the answer to that question lies the tale of how the business of artificial insemination (AI) has made a successful transition from humans to canines.
Joey is no ordinary dog. He is a Germany-returned rottweiler, believed to be of such exceptional pedigree that its owner reportedly paid Rs7 lakh for it. For Sion-based restaurateur-cum-breeder Amir Irani, Joey meant an opportunity to own some exceptional offspring. He chose Funtoo, his female rottweiler, to further this aim.
Sadly, when Joey’s all-important sperm was collected, he found it to be not so great after all — the 30 per cent motility of the sperms was poor, to say the least. But Irani was adamant. So Dr Kelkar-Gulavane acquiesced, and Funtoo was inseminated. There was no sex, just AI.
Dr Kelkar-Gulavane, who has been doing AI procedures since her post-graduate days, recalls how uncommon AI was some years back.
“During my two years of post-graduation, I performed only one case of artificial insemination. Today, I perform eight to nine procedures a month,” she says. According to her, people now are more aware of this procedure. There are quite a few owners who are so attached to their dogs that they want that particular lineage to continue. And there are also breeders who want high-pedigreed offspring, thereby helping create pups of those dogs and bitches that would otherwise be unable to mate naturally.
But why AI? What about mating the natural way? Dr Kelkar-Gulavane explains why mating isn’t all that easy in the dog world.
“Dogs need to be able to mount while having sex. But many are unable to, either because they are obese (because of a sedentary lifestyle and overeating or a genetic predisposition to obesity), or they have poor hind legs. Also, since many dogs live with humans, their only interaction with other dogs is when they are taken out for walks, and many do not know how to have sex. In these cases, AI remains the only option.”
But Irani did not even try out the sex option in Joey’s and Funtoo’s case. Irani explains why sex was “too risky” an option. “Well, I had Joey for that one afternoon. And Funtoo was in heat. Bitches come into heat roughly about twice a year and I did not want them to have sex only to realise later that Funtoo hadn’t become a mother. With AI, there was more of a chance for Funtoo to become a mother.”
But then, the fact remains that Funtoo and Joey were denied the chance to copulate. Irani had used AI before, but only after natural mating had failed. The two previous AI procedures had given him
four pups each.
With more than a 100 cases of AI under her belt, and a success rate of 85 per cent, Dr Kelkar-Gulavane is regarded highly by the likes of Irani. For the record, she claims to have never spilt any of the precious sperm, except once. Then, an English Mastiff had almost bitten her head off. “Some dogs have a temperament problem, and on top of it, their private parts are being touched.” But she brushes off these incidents. “It is an occupational hazard,” she smiles, and all for a greater good.
But when Irani returned to Dr Kelkar-Gulavane 26 days later with Funtoo, the ultrasound proved negative. The sperm had been too poor and Funtoo hadn’t conceived.
“The problem was with the quality of the sperm, not with AI. I will unhesitatingly use it again,” says Irani. With better quality sperm, AI will eventually get Funtoo pregnant. But she will be deprived of the joys of sex yet again.
*Joey: This dog’s name has been changed at the request of his owner, because he did not want people to know that his expensive pedigreed dog is impotent.
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