43. Breeding Soundness Examination: Small Ruminants, Swine, & Camelid

When should you preform a BSE?

60 days prior to the breeding season

If you are doing a BSE on a short day breeder, when should you preform it in the year?

Summer solstice (Late June)

What happens to the rams testicles when they are out of season?

decreased size and less firm testes

T/F The BSE is a snapshot in time

True

Why are BSE preformed?

Evaluation of the male

When doing a BSE on a male, what are you assessing?

• Ability to impregnant females in a defined period of time

When do Rams hit puberty?

6 months of age

What can hasten the onset of puberty in the ram?

Ewe exposure

T/F The puberty of the Buck is breed dependent

True

When do the following BUCK breeds reach puberty?

Boer

Pygmy

Dair

• Boer→ 4-5 months

• Pygmy → 2-3 months

• Dairy → ~5-6 months

What are the FOUR parts of the BSE?

•Physical examination

•Reproductive examination

•Scrotal circumference

•Spermiogram

What is are the things that you need to asses on the physical exam of a ruminant? (alot think general)

• PARASITES

• Confirmation

• Hoof health

• Systemically healthy

• Caseous lymphadenitis

• Dermatitis

• Eyes and Coat

• Body Condition Score

How do you assess if a small ruminant has parasites?

FAMACHA

What is the ideal BCS of a small ruminant?

3.5/5

When doing a physical exam you need to asses the external genitalia. What is something you need to look at on the penis?

Urethral process damage (usually from previous urolithiasis)

What causes "pizzle rot"?

Corynebacterium renale

What disease of the testicles is very common in rams?

Orchitis

What are the out of seasons changes in rams?

2-3 cm circumference change

What are the TWO diseases seen in the Epididymides?

• Epididymitis

• Sperm granulomas

Where can you palpate to confirm epidiymitis?

tail

normal or abnormal?

normal

What can you see if you feel an abnormal palpation at the green star?

sperm granuloma

Where is the green star placed at?

head of the epididymis

What anatomical feature is at the yellow star? What disease process is palpated here?

tail of the epididymis, Epididymitis

What is inflammation of epididymis?

Epididymitis

What causes Epididymitis in a mature ram?

Brucella ovis

What causes Epididymitis in a young ram? (3)

• Histophilus somnii

• Actinobacillus seminis.

• Haemophilus spp.

What is the ROI for Brucella ovis? (3)

• Mucous membranes (Oral ingestion, homosexual riding, naso-genital contact)

• Venereal transmission

• Placental infection

Where does B. ovis have an affinity for?

epididymis and accessory sex glands

What does B ovis do to the sperm quality? (2)

• Reduced motility and concentration

• Detached heads

How do you diagnose Epididymitis caused by Brucella ovis?

- Palpation

- Spermiogram ( WBC, morphology abnormalities)

How do you definativly diagnose B ovis?

Serology

How do you do serology on small ruminants with B ovis?

• 2 tests 4-8 weeks apart (stars here)

What is the recommendations to help prevent B ovis?

- Annual BSE (2 tests 4- 8 weeks apart)

• Cull rams with epididymitis

• Virgin rams

• Biosecurity

T/F the vaccine for B ovis is legal in the US and used often

False it is not legal in the US

How long should you quarantine new rams?

60 days

What is the causative agent of caseous lymphadenitis in the buck?

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (CL)

What is the causative agent of CAE in the buck?

caprine arthritis encephalitis virus

What does scrotal circumference measure?

Estimates volume of testes

How many cm does the scrotum shrink out of season?

2-3 cm

By 14 months, how big should a buck scrotum be?

>25 cm

If a buck is >40 kg breeds, then how big should the scrotal circumference be?

>25cm

If there is a dairy buck that is >45 kg, how big should the SC be?

25-28 cm

If there is a meat buck that is >45 kg, how big should the SC be?

26-29 cm

What are the TWO methods for collection?

• Electroejaculation

• Artificial vagina

What are the advantages to Electroejaculation? (3)

• Readily available for single sample

• No training required

• Can collect while animal is sedated/anesthetized

What are the disadvantages to Electroejaculation?

• Inconsistent sample

• increase seminal fluid, decrease sperm conc.

• Increased total volume (Compared with AV)

• Stress on animal

• Often vocalize

what are advantages of using an AV? (4)

• Physiologically normal sample

• Less stress on animal (Post training)

• Can help evaluate libido

• Faster than EE if trained

What are the disadvantages to using an AV?

Training of animal required

• Unable to utilize in sedated animal

• Female in estrus

What can you use to sedate the animal when preforming Electroejaculation and what is the reversal?

Xylazine, Atipamezole

How much ejaculate is needed for the Spermiogram? (stars)

1-2 ml

What does the Spermiogram indicate?

testicular and epididymal health

Spermatogenesis takes ___ days to complete, where __ of the days are epididymal transport and ___ days are spermatogenesis

60, 12, 48

How do sperm move grossly?

Hurricane/wave

What are the TWO stains that can be used for the Spermiogram?

• Eosin/nigrosin

• Diff-quick

How many sperm do you need to count?

100 sperm @ 1000x magnification

If there are head and midpiece defects, where is the issue?

Testicular

If there are cytoplasmic droplet defects, where is the issue?

Epididymal

If there is distial mid piece reflex, what is the issue?

stress

What are TWO instances that can cause tail defects that has to do with improper handling of sperm?

• Stain osmolality

• Cold shock

What are the FOUR classification of a ram in BSE?

Excellent, satisfactory, questionable, unsatisfactory

What are the THREE classifications for a buck BSE?

Excellent, satisfactory, questionable

If a RAM is Unsatisfactory, what THREE things does this mean?

• Fails to meet minimum of single portion of examination

• Morphology: < 50% normal

• Motility: < 30%

If a ram is QUESTIONABLE, what THREE things does this mean and when should you recheck?

• One or greater questionable parameter (fixable)

• Morphology: < 70% normal

• Motility: < 30%

• Recheck 60 days

If a RAM is satisfactory, what does this mean?

• Meets all the minimum of all portions of the examination

• Morphology: > 70% normal

• Motility: > 30% progressively motile

If a RAM is excellent, what does this mean?

• Above and beyond all the minimum requirements

• Morphology: > 90% normal

• Motility: > 50% progressively motile

classificatiosn for the buck :)

shewwwwww

What is the serving capacity in a ram that is excellent?

1:100 ewes

When should you evaluate the semen quality of swine?

Monthly ( bc of Consistent turnover in commercial herd)

T/F In a swine herd, AI is routinely used

True

Males producing high yield daughters that reach puberty

at (older/younger) age

younger

Boars from > 10 piglet litters hit puberty when?

5.5-6 mo

What are the FOUR parts of a swine BSE?

• Complete history

• Physical examination

• Reproductive exam

• Semen evaluation

What are the FIVE parts of a swine physical exam?

• Conformation

• Fighting injuries

• Scrotal dermatitis

• Lameness

• Inguinal or umbilical hernias

The testes in a swine increase in size until what age?

18 months

Where is the head of the epididymis located in swine?

Head located ventrally

How would you define a boars penis in shape?

Counterclockwise corkscrew

What is the most common method of how you should collect the semen in a boar?

Gloved Hand technique

T/F With the Gloved Hand technique, there is a large amount of ejaculate ~ 250 ml

True

What is the first fraction of the swines semen?

Prostatic & Seminal Fluid ~ 15 ml

What is the SECOND portion of the ejacualte?

Sperm Rich

What is the volume of the Sperm Rich fracton in young and mature swine?

o Young : 100-300 ml

o Mature: 300-500 ml

What is the last fraction and what do you use to remove it?

Sperm Poor/Gel- Use gauze or filter to remove gel fraction

Why is Electroejaculation rarely used in swine semen collection?

Requires general anesthesia

When is the Semen Evaluation in swine typically done?

at time of collection for breeding/semen shipping

What is the total amount of ejaculate that is evaluated?

~250 ml

Where does the gel fraction com from?

Bulbourethral glands

What is the total amount of sperm per ejaculate?

40-50 billion

T/F In swine, < 25% bent tail and distal droplet are considered normal

True

What is the normals for morphology and motility in swine?

60%

When does puberty happen in the MACHO (male camelid)in the SA and US?

• SA: 3 years

• US: Early as 2 years

What happens during puberty of the Macho?

• Detachment of the penis and preputial attachment

• Flehmen response

How would you describe the penis of the macho?

• Fibroelastic (35-45 cm)

• Cartilaginous process (Clockwise curvature)

Where is the Urethra located in the Macho?

glans penis at the base of the cartilaginous process

T/F Testicular palpation is difficult to palpate at birth due to scrotal location and how small they are

True

At 6 month, the testicles in the macho are big enough to ID what structure?

epididymis

How long is spermatogenesis in the Macho?

55-58 days

What are the THREE parts of a Macho BSE?

•Physical exam

•Reproductive examination

•Semen collection and evaluation

What are some abnormalites that are seen on a Macho's repro exam?

• Hydrocele

• Heat stress

What device can you use to see homogenous parenchyma with hyperechoic mediastinum testis and evaluate for any cystic structure or fibrosis?

ultrasound