UF College of Veterinary Medicine
Public Relations Office

Small Animal Reproduction specialists join CVM faculty, will serve as resource
to breeders of companion animals

by SARAH CAREY

Dr. Karine Onclin, Dr. John Verstegen and Renee Baker, a prospective client, at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in September. (Photo by Sarah Carey)

“We will offer cutting edge technologies to diagnose and treat reproductive diseases and infertility cases in male and female animals, mostly dogs and cats,” said John Verstegen, who heads the service in partnership with his wife, Karine Onclin. Verstegen and Onclin moved last summer to Gainesville from Belgium , where they worked at the University of Liege . Their UF clinic opened for business in early September.

Among the tools the couple plans to offer breeders are a variety of hormone tests, as well as vaginal smears, vaginoscopy, uterine endoscopy and endoscopic uterine drainage.

“We also will be able to provide sonography of the reproductive tract, including sonographic detection of follicular growth and ovulation to improve fertilization and artificial insemination success,” Verstegen said, adding that the service's main activities will include pregnancy monitoring through Doppler ultrasonography, endocrine testing, parturition monitoring and neonatal care.

Tampa 's story is just one example of the literal lengths to which some breeders will go to insure success.

A bearded collie owned by breeder Connie Hartman, Tampa was sent to Verstegen and Onclin in July 2003 for breeding management.

“When we determined she had ovulated and begun her fertile period, we told the breeder on Wednesday that she had to plan a mating for Tampa on Friday. So 48 hours in advance, she took Tampa in her car and drove from Liege , Belgium to Calais , France . Then they took a boat to London and finally drove more than 1000 kilometers to Scotland to find the right fiancé for Tampa ,” Onclin said.

“ Tampa was mated that Friday and Saturday, and Ms. Hartman took the road and the boat back to Belgium , where they arrived late Sunday,” Onclin said. “We checked her again on Sunday,” Onclin said. “We performed an ultrasonographic examination three weeks later and Tampa was pregnant. The breeder was thrilled and sent us many pictures of Tampa 's beautiful litter of 11 puppies.”

“Drs. Verstegen and Onclin are renowned authorities in all aspects of animal reproduction and we are delighted to have them on board our team at UF,” said Eleanor Green, D.V.M., chair of Ulf's department of large animal clinical sciences and chief of staff of the Alec P. and Louise H. Courtesies Equine Teaching Hospital.

The department oversees the theriogenology service, which now encompasses reproduction expertise for both large and small animals.