Indications

• A BSE is important if one hopes to use a dog for stud purposes. This will establish that the dog produces spermatozoa that move normally, in normal quantities with normal morphological characteristics. It will show that he has a normal penis, can probably copulate normally and has normal testes and epididymides and no apparent prostatic disease. A BSE should also establish that a dog is free from brucellosis Brucellosis. A positive screening test should always be followed by a more specific confirmatory test. 
• An annual BSE test is advised for valuable, proven stud dogs; early recognition of problems provides the best chance for successful therapy.
• A BSE should also establish that a dog has a sound disposition and is free of obvious heritable defects. This includes conformational defects and breed specific inherited diseases, most commonly orthopedic, cardiac, ophthalmologic and metabolic. The veterinarian's role in this respect has to be informative and not judgemental; great diplomacy will be required in some cases.
• Imported dogs: a BSE should begin with a screening test for brucellosis; a positive screening test should be followed by more specific confirmatory testing. 
• Semen collection for evaluation should be performed before the physical examination or any diagnostics are undertaken, so as not to impact the dog's libido.

Semen evaluation

Evaluation of the penis, prepuce, testes, epididymides, and prostate gland

Male reproductive tract morphologic disorders

Neoplasia of the male reproductive tract

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Davidson A P, Baker T W (2009) Reproductive ultrasound of the dog and tom. Top Companion Anim Med 24 (2), 64-70 PubMed.

Other sources of information

• O'Brien D, Rodriquez C (2017) Reproductive Malignancies. In: Greco D S, Davidson A P (eds) Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Small Animal Endocrinology and Reproduction. John Wiley & Sons.
• Withrow S J, Vail D M (2007) In: Withrow and MacEwen's Small Animal Clinical Oncology. 4th edn. St. Louis, Saunders Elsevier. pp 641-646.