Lesson 1b - Breeding Soundness Exam

What are the indications for a breeding soundness exam in mares?

1. pre-purchase

2. pre-breeding

3. infertility/problem mare

Why would you want to complete a breeding soundness exam pre-breeding in mares?

they are seasonal breeders, ensures they are capable of breeding

When is breeding season for horses?

late spring to early fall

What is a management way to breed horses during the winter?

placing them under artificial lights

What drives the seasonality of horse breeding?

light; long day breeders

What general history points do you want to ask about with a mare BSE?

1. career/main purpose

2. disease history

3. medications

4. management like artificial light use

What reproductive history points do you want to ask about with a mare BSE?

1. previous breeding history

2. pregnancy history

3. foaling history

4. postpartum problems

5. previous BSE results

6. previous treatment history

What is a maiden mare?

never foaled before

What is a barren mare?

hasn't conceived this breeding season or in past breeding seasons

What is your concern with a maiden mare?

if older than 10 years may have lower conception rates

What is your concern with a barren mare?

reduced fertility

What are parts of the specific reproductive exam during a mare BSE?

1. perineal conformation

2. transrectal palpation and ultrasound

3. evaluation of the vestibulo-vaginal junction

4. vaginal examination

5. endometrial cytology and bacterial culture

6. endometrial biopsy

What are special tests that can be performed, but are not part of a routine BSE?

1. hysterectomy

2. hormone profiles

3. karyotyping

What is a safety restraint consideration with equine BSEs?

tail should be tied to the mare instead of the stocks

What should a good perineal conformation look like?

1. vulva should be upright

2. good apposition of the vulvar lips

3. more than two-thirds to three-fourths of the vulvar length below the base of the pelvis

4. perineal body should be 3-4 cm thick

What does gaping of the vulvar lips and horizontal tipping of the vulva predispose mares to?

1. pneumo-vagina

2. fecal contamination

What cases typically have gaping vulvar lips or horizontal tipping of the vulva?

1. low BCS

2. older mares

3. foaling injuries

What is a good vulvar length?

two-thirds to three-fourths of the vulvar length below the base of the pelvis

What is a good perineal body size?

3-4 cm thick

What is a treatment for poor vulvar conformation?

Caslick's surgery

How far down do you suture with a Caslick's?

to the pelvic base

What do you need to do if you have a mare with poor vulvar conformation that is at risk for infection, but you just breeded her?

place a caslicks for the length of gestation, but remove before foaling

What can cause an enlarged clitoris?

uncommon but intersex or androgens

When you see an enlarged clitoris, what should you think about first?

age of the patient

Why do you think about age of the patient for enlarged clitoris?

1. intersex more likely for young congenital cases

2. androgens more likely for older cases with accidental administration

After evaluation of the perineal conformation, what is the most logical next step in the BSE?

transrectal palpation and ultrasound

Why is transrectal palpation and ultrasound performed second?

rule out pregnancy before continuing

What is the landmark for palpation in the horse?

uterine bifurcation

What is the tone of the cervix during estrus?

soft and low tone

What is the tone of the cervix during diestrus?

firm and high tone

What does progesterone do to the cervix?

firm, high tone, tightly closed

What does estrogen do to the cervix?

soft and low tone

What is the tone of the uterus during estrus in mares?

decreased tone

What is the tone of the uterus during diestrus in mares?

increased tone

What is the edema of the uterus like in diestrus?

no edema

What is the edema of the uterus like in estrus?

doughy

What structure do you also want to evaluate when feeling for the uterus?

broad ligament, especially postpartum

Where are the ovaries located in a mare?

10 o'clock and 2 o'clock just cranial to the iliac arches

What could it mean if you cannot palpate the ovulation fossa?

granulosa cell tumor

Can you palpate follicles or corpus luteus's in mares?

follicles

What is the concern if you see grade 3 edema in the uterus?

could be sign of endometritis

What is the concern if you see edema in the uterus during diestrus?

could be sign of endometritis

When would you see intraluminal fluid in the uterus?

1. pregnancy

2. endometritis

3. pyometra

What are two types of endometritis seen with mares?

1. post breeding endometritis

2. infectious endometritis

What should you do if you see endometrial cysts?

1. confirm it isn't an early pregnancy

2. note down their location and size

Transrectal examination of a mare indicates that the uterus is turgid with a grade 2 edema and no intraluminal free fluid. The right ovary has a 40mm follicle, and the left ovary has multiple small follicles. What is the best interpretation of these findings?

the mare is in estrus

A mare is examined 24 hours after ovulation. Ultrasound reveals a heterogeneous echogenic structure occupying the previously identified follicle.

What is the most likely diagnosis?

corpus hemorrhagicum

A mare is examined for breeding soundness. The cervix is firm, tightly closed, and positioned caudally within the vagina.

Which stage of the estrous cycle is this finding most consistent with?

diestrus

What is the arrow pointing to?

Perineal body

What abnormality is shown?

Enlarged clitoris

What does the windsucker test evaluate for?

competent vestibulo-vaginal junction

What should you see when you do a windsucker test?

pink "curtain"

What might you hear if there is an incompetent vestibulo-vaginal junction and you are doing a windsucker test?

air rushing in once you part the vulvar lips

What do you have to do in order to do a vaginal examination?

clean the perineum first and wrap the tail

Where will you see the cervix during estrus when performing vaginoscopy?

on the floor of the vagina, pink, moist

Where will you see the cervix during diestrus when performing vaginoscopy?

relatively dorsal/cranial, pale, dry

When is digital examination of the cervix very important?

post-partum mares or mares with history of infertiligy

What stage of the estrous cycle is best for performing digital examination of the cervix?

diestrus

What is needed for endometrial cytology and culture?

1. proper perineal preparation

2. sterile long-sleeved gloves

3. double guarded endometrial swabs

How many swabs do you want to take of the endometrium and what should you use them for?

1. swab 1 for culture and sensitivity

2. swab 2 for cytology

What two things could cause uterine inflammation without infection?

1. urine

2. air

You perform an endometrial cytology and see neutrophils. What is your interpretation?

endometritis

What is necessary to diagnose endometritis based off of cytology?

greater than one neutrophil/hpf

What does a positive endometrial cytology with a negative culture indicate?

non-infectious endometritis

What does a negative endometrial cytology with a positive culture indicate?

contamination of the swab while collecting the sample or in subsequent handling

What is the most common pathogen that causes endometritis in horses?

Staphylococcus zooepidemicus

When would we especially want to do an endometrial biopsy?

barren mares

Where do we take an endometrial biopsy?

base of the uterine horn

What are the special blood tests we can run for breeding soundness exam in mares?

1. hormone profile

2. karyotyping

3. infectious disease

What pathology could we run a hormone panel for during a mare breed soundness exam?

granulose cell tumor

When would we want to use hysteroscopy?

1. intraluminal foreign bodies

2. ablation of endometrial cysts

When is puberty considered in a bull?

first time a bull produces an ejaculate with at least 50 million spermatozoa/mL with at least 10% motility

When is the average onset of puberty in a bull?

12 months

What is the average duration of spermatogenesis in bulls?

60 days

What is the average epididymal transit time?

8.3 days

What are the indications for a breeding soundness exam in bulls?

1. pre-purchase

2. pre-breeding

3. investigation of infertility

When do you want to perform a pre-breeding BSE?

2 months before breeding

What does a routine bull BSE not evaluate?

1. libido

2. serving capacity

What would be the best sample to collect if we need to test a bull for Trich and vibrio?

preputial scraping

What is an ideal cow to bull ratio?

25:1

What aspects do you want to examine on a general physical exam for a bull BSE?

1. testes

2. legs

3. eyes

4. teeth

5. preputial conformation

What is an ideal preputial conformation?

ideally above an imaginary line drawn from carpus to hock

What does scrotal circumference correlate with?

1. sperm production

2. higher circumference bulls have daughters that attain puberty faster

What should be the consistency of the testes and epididymis?

firm and elastic

What are you evaluating on an internal examination for a bull BSE?

accessory sex glands

Which accessory sex glands can be palpated in bulls?

vesicular glands

Why is palpating the vesicular glands important in bulls?

younger bulls can get seminal vasculitis

What is the most common method for semen collection for BSEs in bulls?

electroejaculation

What consistency of semen correlates with lower sperm concentrations?

watery semen

What does brown semen indicate?

old hemorrhage

What does green/brown semen indicate?

contamination/infection

What can cause a lower pH for semen?

standing for a while (anaerobic metabolism)

What is very important with semen sample handling?

keeping everything warm to prevent cold shock

What is evaluated on a microscopic examination of semen?

1. motility

2. morphology

3. foreign cell smear

4. sperm concentration

What is the minimum threshold for sperm motility?

30% progressively motile spermatozoa

What stain is needed to evaluate sperm morphology?

eosin-nigrosin which stains dead sperm pink

How do you assess sperm morphology?

evaluate 100 cells in total whether they are dead or alive

What is the minimum recommended threshold for morphology?

70% morphologically normal

What does presence of spermatogenic cells indicate?

testicular degeneration

A 2-year old Angus bull is presented for BSE. The bull is physically normal and his scrotal circumference is 36cm. His semen is milky with 50% progressive motility and 80% morphologically normal spermatozoa. What is the most correct evaluation of this bull?

satisfactory potential breeder