Transcervical Insemination (TCI)

Beacon Pet Hospital offers Transcervical Insemination (TCI) to support your breeding needs.

TCI and surgical AI both put the semen in the exact same place (the uterus), but TCI does it without the stress of the surgery trauma and anesthesia. TCI in dogs is a minimally invasive technique that uses an endoscope to guide a catheter through the cervix, allowing semen to be deposited directly into the uterus while the dog is awake. It increases pregnancy rates by bypassing the cervix, offering a superior alternative to vaginal AI.

Procedure:

A veterinarian uses a specially designed endoscope to visualize the cervix and pass a catheter through it, usually with the dog in a standing position, requiring no sedation or anesthesia. TCI is done with the bitch awake and stimulated so that her uterus is actively contracting, moving sperm up to the tips of the uterine horns.  And in instances where two inseminations are recommended, you can do that with TCI, but not surgical AI. 

Advantages:

Higher Success Rates: Direct uterine delivery increases the chances of conception, particularly for frozen or poor-quality semen.

Minimal Invasiveness: No surgical incisions or anesthesia required.

Visualization: The technician can visualize the uterine health and vaginal wall.

Less Stressful: A more comfortable option compared to surgical insemination.

Best Used For: Frozen semen, chilled semen, or in cases where traditional vaginal AI has failed.

Optimal Timing: TCI success is highly dependent on precise ovulation timing.

TCI is a better choice comparing with Artificial Insemination (AI). TCI places the semen past the cervix, directly into the uterus. Virtually none of the sperm are lost. Vaginal AI places all of the semen into the vagina and the semen needs to travel into the uterus.