Clinical application of reproductive biotechnologies in dogs and cats

Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) are aimed to the improvement of reproductive performances. Manipulation of the gametes outside the bodies of the originating organisms is the core of reproductive biotechnologies. Besides Artificial Insemination (IA) widely applied particularly in dogs, other techniques that imply both sperm and oocyte manipulation in vitro have been developed in several mammalian species including dogs and cats. In vitro embryo production, achieved significant advances particularly in cats, and sperm-oocyte interaction in vitro represents a powerful tool for testing male gametes.