CEM, Canada and new regulations...

[Equine Reproduction]

We've got a new article up on our website with regards to CEM and new regulations that will be going into effect on or about January 26th, 2009 with regards to importing semen, horses and embryos into Canada. http://www.equine-reproduction.com/index.shtml

There have been lots of questions and concerns about what sort of restrictions, if any, that will be put into place. Hopefully the article will help answer those questions!

Kathy St.Martin
Equine Reproduction Short Courses
http://www.equine-reproduction.com

[Rendaivu]

Thank you for posting this! I am happy to see there is not going to be some sort of ban on importing semen as I had heard. I wonder if stallion owners will purchase multiple permits or if it will be in the hands of the mare owner.

To the SO's, is it common to use an extender with antibiotics effective against Taylorella equigenitalis. I do not know much about extenders, just that there are many different kinds!

[Equine Reproduction]

Thank you for posting this! I am happy to see there is not going to be some sort of ban on importing semen as I had heard. I wonder if stallion owners will purchase multiple permits or if it will be in the hands of the mare owner.

According to the information we have read on the topic, the importer must acquire the applications, so in most cases, that will be the mare owner.

To the SO's, is it common to use an extender with antibiotics effective against Taylorella equigenitalis. I do not know much about extenders, just that there are many different kinds!

There are a variety of antibiotics that are used in semen extenders and most are broad spectrum in order to deal with the largest number of pathogens but one also wants to have the least negative impact on sperm cells. CEM is fairly easy to kill with antibiotics, but obviously not all will do the job. As up until this year, there had been relatively few outbreaks of CEM, it wasn't much of a concern that the antibiotics used were effective against Taylorella equigenitalis.

Hope that helps.

Kathy St.Martin
Equine Reproduction Short Courses
http://www.equine-reproduction.com

[RiderBreeder]

I am also relieved to hear that there will not be a ban or extremely difficult protocol. Thank you so much for posting this information, it is extremely important! I will make sure to discuss this with stallion owners to make sure the correct extenders are used, etc.

[HSGF]

Hi Kathy,
I have frozen semen coming up from the US to Canada this week and next week (before Jan 26th) should I contact Agriculture Canada tomorrow to make sure I won't need a U.S. Health Certificate? Do you know if they are allowing shippments to go through the boarder as per normal before Jan,26?

Thanks

[mistyjewell]

So, if I'm bringing a mare from the US into Canada to be bred, and she has not been exposed, and shows no signs (and this is on the health cert) then I shouldn't have a probelm? Correct? And then does the stallion she is bred to also have to be proven to be negative when I bring her back to the US?

[Equine Reproduction]

Hi Kathy,
I have frozen semen coming up from the US to Canada this week and next week (before Jan 26th) should I contact Agriculture Canada tomorrow to make sure I won't need a U.S. Health Certificate? Do you know if they are allowing shippments to go through the boarder as per normal before Jan,26?

Thanks

You now have the same info we have <smile>...Supposedly, the new regulations are not in effect until the 26th, so I'm assuming you're good to go until then. We've sent off several shipments of frozen semen in the last couple weeks "just in case" before the noted restrictions were implemented, but we are relieved that the restrictions aren't more severe.

Hope that helps!

Kathy St.Martin
Equine Reproduction Short Courses
http://www.equine-reproduction.com

[Equine Reproduction]

So, if I'm bringing a mare from the US into Canada to be bred, and she has not been exposed, and shows no signs (and this is on the health cert) then I shouldn't have a probelm? Correct?

As long as the wording on your health certificate is correct, you are - at this time - correct.

And then does the stallion she is bred to also have to be proven to be negative when I bring her back to the US?

Currently Canada has no animals - stallions or mares - that have tested positive for the CEMO (Contagious Equine Metritis Organism), hence there is no issue with the US requiring CEM declarations upon [re]importation from Canada.

[mistyjewell]

Ok Thanks! I'm glad I saw this, as I might not have know otherwise. Would have stunk to drive 8 hours up there to find that out!

But then, I was planning on calling around a few weeks out to double check everything, as I'm super nervous, but knowing this ahead of time makes me feel much better.

Thanks!

[Mozart]

I know it is early in the year for we Canadians..but anyone have any experiences so far this year vis a vis semen from the US clearing customs in light of the CEM outbreak?

I will be using semen from a Florida stallion this year and would like to hear what has been happening at the border (and hopefully learn from other people's experiences...)

[Sunnydays]

On Feb 9th the CFIA issued a new bulletin, which says an import certificate must be obtained from CFIA in advance of shipment, and accompany shipment. The USA issued zoosanitary export certificate must be signed by a USDA vet, and contain specified language re lstatus of semen-collection site, and qualities of extender used. I'm trying to determine now whether my SO (also Florida) can get the export certificate to and from the USDA vet, on the same day as collection, in time for Fedex pickup. Otherwise, don't see how it could work for fresh semen to arrive in viable condition, with mare still in heat.
I checked with our CFIA vet, who confirmed that the USDA vet must certify collection conditions after the semen is collected. She recognizes this will make logistics, within a tight timeframe, pretty difficult ...

[Edgar]

I'm trying to determine now whether my SO (also Florida) can get the export certificate to and from the USDA vet, on the same day as collection, in time for Fedex pickup. Otherwise, don't see how it could work for fresh semen to arrive in viable condition, with mare still in heat.
I checked with our CFIA vet, who confirmed that the USDA vet must certify collection conditions after the semen is collected. She recognizes this will make logistics, within a tight timeframe, pretty difficult ...

Yes, this is going to be a physical impossibility for some stallion owners as it will take too long for some to get a certificate stamped withing 24 hrs of shipment. The distance to an USDA office is to great for some.

It is a 3 hour ordeal for us to complete the paperwork and get the needed USDA endorsement and we can do it with proper notice as we will employ a courier to go get it. With daily shipments to Canada last year and many Canadian breeders as clients it is important we make it work. I was surprised today after talking to them the Sacramento USDA/APHIS office has not had a single endorsement issued yet as I thought the quarter horse people would be shipping early. We will do a test shipment in 10 days and may be the first ones.

[Lesley Feakins]

Edgar please report back with news of your Canada shipment. We have our stallions collected by SBS and they are telling me that the nearest USDA Vet is 3 hrs away and they are trying to work how all this extra paperwork and signing off is going to work out. Plus I'm concerned with any possible hold up at the border with checking paperwork etc.

We have Canadian inquiries this year and I'm suggesting they use frozen at least for this year.

[Mozart]

My repro vet thinks the CEM situation and requirements might change...hopefully she is right. In the meantime this forum is probably one of the best ways for breeders to find out what has been going on.

Fortunately we still have some time, most Canadian sport horse breeders won't be breeding this early, hopefully things will change in our favour as spring approaches.

Fingers and toes crossed on that!

[Edgar]

Things may or may not change this year, we all hope they do but for now I need to be prepared to ship when needed and I think this is important for all who do or expect to do business in Canada. It certainly won't work if you start figuring out what actually is required at the time when you need to actually ship semen.

[Equine Reproduction]

My repro vet thinks the CEM situation and requirements might change...hopefully she is right. In the meantime this forum is probably one of the best ways for breeders to find out what has been going on.

I agree. But until they locate ALL the animals that were bred with CEM semen and have completed all of the testing, the regulations probably aren't going to change.

Fortunately we still have some time, most Canadian sport horse breeders won't be breeding this early, hopefully things will change in our favour as spring approaches.

Fingers and toes crossed on that!

While I know that this is a big bump in the road for many breeders, any that were shipping semen to Canada 10 years ago know what was involved. Inconvenient? Yup. But, definitely not impossible. Just a few more hoops to jump through. We're in the same boat as everyone else in that when shipping to Canada, we will have to do up all the paperwork, drive up to Oklahoma City (70 miles one way) and get the USDA Vet to sign off on everything. Getting all your ducks in a row prior to requesting semen will be a big help in making things go smoothly. Mare owners will need to complete the necessary paperwork and get the import permit prior to needing the shipment. that's something you probably won't be able to get completed at the last minute.

Good luck everyone. Our breeding season doesn't open until March 15th, so we have a couple more weeks to get all of our ducks in a row and get our staff vet up to date on everything.

Kathy St.Martin
Equine Reproduction Short Courses
http://www.equine-reproduction.com