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Treatment

There is no a specific treatment for spermatozoal abnormalities; if applicable, the underlying disease or condition will be treated. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents will be prescribed for infectious diseases and swelling due to inflammation. Unilateral surgical removal may be recommended for unilateral testicular tumors or severe orchitis. Your veterinarian may recommend sexual rest for edema (swelling) or for a cyst associated with trauma. Frequent semen collection may temporarily improve sperm quality in dogs with idiopathic teratozoospermia, but the quality of the sperm will have to be tested before it is used for breeding purposes, to avoid genetic abnormalities resulting from poor sperm. If your dog is in an extremely hot environment, or it is the summer season, protect your dog from high ambient temperatures by moving him to a cooler space. In addition, alter your dog’s exercise program to reduce heat stress, unless your veterinarian has specifically ordered more exercise for treatment of obesity.

Prevention

It may help to provide a climate-controlled environment for your dog if it is not adapted to high environmental temperatures. Also, avoid heat exhaustion during exercise or grooming (e.g., drying cages).

Living and Management

If an underlying cause is identified and treated, your veterinarian will want to perform a sperm evaluation at 30 and 60 days after the condition is resolved. In cases due to reversible causes, a complete improvement in sperm morphology does not usually occur before 60 days -- the approximate length of a complete spermatogenic cycle.