Transcervical artificial insemination in the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo)

Abstract

The research was undertaken to develop a successful nonsurgical procedure for artificially inseminating ferrets. A fiberoptic endoscope used in conjunction with a specially designed speculum and catheter permitted cervical catheterization and intrauterine insemination. Sperm were collected from the cauda epididymides of 10 discarded breeder males; the number of sperm in diluted samples used for insemination ranged from 4.4–13.6 × 106/100 μl with progressive motility of sperm ranging from 40 to 60%. Sperm collected from each male were diluted with an egg‐yolk extender (TEST) and used to inseminate 8–12 females, with deposition of sperm intravaginally or transcervically into the uterine body 0 or 24 hr after an ovulatory injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The vaginal inseminations were used as a control, and no pregnancies resulted after insemination of 26 females. Intrauterine inseminations resulted in 4/24 (17%) of the ferrets pregnant when hCG administration was coincident with insemination, and 19/24 (79%) of the ferrets were pregnant when inseminations were done 24 hr after hCG administration. All inseminated females were euthanized on day 20 after insemination to count fetuses. The mean number of fetuses was 3.1 (range, 1–8). The number (millions) of motile sperm inseminated (X) had a significant effect on the percentage of fetuses (Y). Regression analysis indicated a linear relationship between the two variables, with an R2 value of 0.99 and a line of best fit described by the equation Y = 0.029 + 0.034 X. This paper is the first report of transcervical artificial insemination in the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo). The method can serve as a model for application to ferrets and other mammals, particularly endangered species. Zoo Biol 17:393–404, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Biology and Diseases of Ferrets

“…A visual transcervical artificial insemination technique with the aid of an endoscope has been described in the domestic ferret (Kidder et al, 1998). However, artificial insemination is not commonly performed in ferrets but has been studied in the context of providing strategies for species perpetuation of the endangered black-footed ferret (Wildt et al, 1989;Howard et al, 2003).…”

Conservation of the European Mink (Mustela lutreola): Focus on Reproduction and Reproductive Technologies

“…It has been shown that intravaginal insemination is ineffective in ferrets (Wildt et al. 1992; Kidder et al. 1998), but the relatively non‐traumatic laparascopic intrauterine insemination (Wildt et al.…”

“…1998), but the relatively non‐traumatic laparascopic intrauterine insemination (Wildt et al. 1992), or the more sophisticated transcervical nonsurgical deposition of semen into the uterus/uterine horns (Kidder et al. 1998), does result in relatively high (66.7–79%) pregnancy rate.…”

“…1998), does result in relatively high (66.7–79%) pregnancy rate. In the study of Kidder et al. (1998), for instance, female ferrets were successfully inseminated transcervically either into the uterine body or into the uterine horn.…”

“…Early embryonic development in the European mink has been a recent focus (Amstislavsky et al 2006a) and the possibility of cryopreservation of mustelid embryos has been confirmed by successful development of frozenthawed polecat embryos in vitro and in vivo (Lindeberg 2003;Lindeberg et al 2003). Also a method for semen cryopreservation and artificial insemination (AI) has been developed in ferrets (Howard et al 1991;Wildt et al 1992;Kidder et al 1998).…”