Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists
Dr. Hess attended Colorado State University for both undergraduate and veterinary school. She then completed an internship in small animal medicine, surgery and critical care at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver. Dr. Hess completed a three year residency in theriogenology (reproduction) at Virginia Tech. Dr. Hess joined CVSG as a small animal reproduction specialist.
Dr. Hess is a member of the American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation Grants Committee and serves as a theriogenology consultant for the Veterinary Information Network (VIN).
Dr. Hess is an active competitor with her Curly-coated Retriever and Dutch Shepherds in multiple dog sports including conformation, agility, hunt tests, tracking, and obedience.
Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists
Dr. Coffman earned her DVM degree and completed an internship at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She then completed her master’s degree and residency in comparative Theriogenology at The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!). She has been board-certified in reproductive medicine since 2013 and joined the CVSG team in 2021.
In her spare time, Dr. Coffman enjoys riding her horse (Beau), spending time with her dogs (Sushi Roll and Prudence), and enjoying the beautiful state of Colorado.
Colorado Veterinary Specialty Group offers a full range of services for dog and cat breeders and handles reproductive disease cases for pet owners. Printable forms can be found on our Reproduction Forms page.
CVSG Breeding Program
As veterinary professionals, the welfare of all animals is our priority. We will perform ovulation timing and inseminations for bitches we feel are healthy enough to sustain a pregnancy & whelping. We expect our breeders to support us in our efforts. To be considered for the breeding program at Colorado Veterinary Specialty Group (CVSG), all dogs/bitches must meet the following criteria:
- All breeding animals must have had health testing as specified by their breed. Please see the Canine Health Information Center (caninehealthinfo.org) or your specific breed club’s website if you’re unsure of the necessary requirements. Designer breeds should have the health testing required by the foundation breeds used to create the designer dog.
- Have a temperament that permits an examination, blood draw, semen collection or insemination without muzzle or sedation.
- Must be in a healthy body condition, not over or under weight.
- Have no heart issues unless they present us with a cardiac evaluation by a Veterinary Cardiologist specifically stating the heart condition will not worsen with pregnancy.
- We reserve the right to refuse breeding services if we do not feel it would be in the best interest of the dog/bitch.
- New clients are strongly encouraged to schedule a consult with one of our theriogenologists prior to the bitch coming into season. Availability for insemination will not be guaranteed for new clients without a prior consultation.
- Ovulation timing (progesterone) can be performed on bitches not meeting the above criteria but these bitches will not be inseminated at CVSG.
- As always, we will see any patient with a reproductive emergency or for a reproductive specialty consult regardless of their ability to meet the breeding program criteria.
Services For Males:
- Breeding soundness evaluation (this includes semen collection and semen evaluation for motility, concentration and morphology)
- Semen collection for shipment (cooled-semen)
- Semen freezing and on-site storage
- Semen longevity testing (testing prior to shipping cooled semen)
- Epididymal semen collection and freezing
- Import and export of frozen and chilled canine semen
- Prostate disease evaluation and treatment
- Freezing of semen collected remotely and shipped to CVSG
- Brucella canis testing
- Testicular and prostatic ultrasound
Services For Females:
- Breeding soundness evaluation
- Breeding management (this includes ovulation timing, fresh semen insemination, cooled semen insemination, frozen semen insemination, and transcervical and surgical insemination)
- Pregnancy diagnosis – an ultrasound is performed at 25 – 28 days following breeding. Ultrasound is a safe and very accurate way to diagnose pregnancy and evaluating the health of the pregnancy. Radiographs are also taken the week before the female is due to accurately determine fetal numbers
- High-risk pregnancy management – evaluation and monitoring of females that have lost previous pregnancies
- Scheduled and emergency C-sections
- Medical management of uterine disorders such as pyometra and metritis
- Elective, medical pregnancy termination
Helpful Links
American Kennel Club – https://www.akc.org/
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals – https://www.ofa.org/
CHIC – Breed specific testing recommendations – https://www.ofa.org/browse-by-breed
Health Clinics Calendar – https://www.ofa.org/health-clinics
Follow us on Facebook at Colorado Canine Reproduction! – https://www.facebook.com/coloradocaninerepro/