Breeding Soundness Evaluation

Breeding Soundness Evaluation

standardized exam designed to determine—at a snapshot in time—whether an animal meets cutoffs that correlate with fertility

Three times a breeding soundness evaluation is used:

1.) pre-breeding exam

2.) pre-purchase exam

3.) infertility investigation

First step of any BSE

must have permanent ID so the animal can't be swapped if the results are bad

What is NOT an acceptable form of permanent ID for a BSE? Why?

ear tags; they can be removed/swapped

Second step in any BSE

gathering a complete history, including basic health questions and reproduction questions

Examples of information to gather during history of BSE:

-signalment

-have they been healthy?

-eating well?

-vaccination status?

-any medications/supplements?

-prior fertility/infertility history

Third step in any BSE

General physical examination

Red flags for a general physical exam:

-poor body condition

-extreme parasitism

-inability to walk well/lameness

-can't mount

Steps of a male BSE:

1.) external genitalia exam

2.) scrotal palpation and size

3.) ultrasound of testes

4.) accessory sex glands exam

5.) penis exam

6.) semen collection and evaluation

Two external genitalia structures evalulated in the male:

1.) prepuce (scar, lesions, conformation)

2.) scrotum (lesions, conformation, position, size)

A normal scrotum is very important for ____________. Why?

thermoregulation; scrotum has to be able to let the testes move up and down to regulate their temperature, otherwise sperm will not be viable

Why can obese males have decreased fertility?

fat can accumulate around the scrotum and act as an insulator, increasing temperature and killing sperm

Four things to be assessed on testicular palpation:

1.) symmetry

2.) size

3.) pain on palpation

4.) normal consistency (firm but not rock hard)

How is scrotal size determined in ruminants?

by taking a scrotal circumference measurement using tape measure

In ruminants, the larger the testicles, the ___________ the sperm output

greater

*to a certain point; can be too large from pathology

In ruminants, the scrotal circumference will have a direct correlation to...

fertility of daughters that bull produces; daughters will reach puberty earlier

How is scrotal size determined in stallions?

calipers are used to measure scortal width at the neck of the scrotum

*cannot use tape since the stallion testes are close to the body (not pendulous)

Minimum scrotal width measurement for stallions:

11 cm

In what species will scrotal circumference be measured?

bulls, rams, bucks

In what species will scrotal width be measured?

stallions and dogs

Purpose of ultrasounding scrotum

1.) assess internal appearance of testicle and epididymis

2.) evaluate blood flow if needed

What should the testicle look like on ultrasound?

Should be uniform gray color with no masses, black pockets, or excessively bright areas

What is the color doppler tools of ultraound used for when ultrasounding testicle?

used to assess blood flow; important for a suspected testicular torsion

How are sex glands assessed in large animals?

rectal palpation and ultrasound

Accessory sex glands are evaluated during rectal palpation for:

-symmetry

-pain

-texture/firmness

-mobility

Which accessory sex gland cannot be palpated on rectal palpation? What is used instead?

bulbourethral glands (located near the anus); ultrasound used instead

What accessory sex glands do ruminants have?

All 4:

-ampullae

-seminal vesicles

-prostate

-bulbourethral glands

What accessory sex glands do swine have?

All 4:

-ampullae

-seminal vesicles

-prostate

-bulbourethral glands

What accessory sex glands do stallions have?

All 4:

-ampullae

-seminal vesicles

-prostate

-bulbourethral glands

What accessory sex glands do dogs have?

only prostate

What accessory sex glands do cats have?

prostate and bulbourethral gland

Things evaluated for a penis exam:

-mucosa and urethra appearance

-lesions that would make breeding painful/impossible

An exam of the penis also includes full __________ of the penis

exteriorization

Semen collection method in bulls:

electroejaculation

Semen collection method in stallion:

artificial vagina

Semen collection method in dogs:

manual collection

Once collected, semen is evaluated for (5):

1.) volume

2.) color

3.) concentration

4.) gross motility (overall movement)

5.) individual motility

Three structures of sperm:

1.) head

2.) midpiece

3.) tail (principle piece)

Head of sperm

contains the DNA and acrosome with enzymes needed for fertilization

Midpiece of sperm

contains mitochondria wrapped around the entire midpiece to provide energy for movement

Tail (principle piece) of sperm

flagellum responsible for propulsion

True or false: some abnormal sperm are expected when evaluating sperm collection

true!

*huge numbers are produced continuously, so some errors are normal

If greater than ___% of sperm have a particular defect on sperm collection analysis, the sperm are considered abnormal

10%

Two types of sperm defects:

1.) Primary defects

2.) Secondary defects

Primary defects

defects that originate in the testicle; related to spermatogenesis and often involve major structures (such as head and acrosome)

Secondary defects

defects that occur during maturation and transport in the epididymis

Do primary or secondary defects usually have a greater impact on fertility?

primary defects

Once a BSE is completed, it is graded based on three categories:

1.) satisfactory

2.) unsatisfactory

3.) deferred

Satisfactory grade on BSE

BSE meets minimum criteria for the program/standards

A satisfactory grade on BSE means that a male is expected to have a ____% pregnancy rate every ____ days

60%

21 days

For an satisfactory grade on a BSE, greater than ____% of sperm have to have normal morphology

70%

For an satisfactory grade on a BSE, greater than ____% of sperm have to have progressive motility

30%

Unsatisfactory grade on BSE

BSE does not meet minimum criteria for the program/standards

Deferred grade on BSE

currently fails due to an issue that may improve, such as an infection, recent illness, etc

If a male receives a deferred grade on a BSE, they must wait ___-___ days until being reevaluated

30-60 days

Why must you wait 30-60 days for reevaluating a deferred BSE?

is takes around 60 days for sperm to develop fully (spermatogenesis duration); by 30 days, you may not be back to normal but should see improvement

True or false: a satisfactory score on BSE exam does NOT mean guaranteed fertile or not sterile

true!

Three components of a female BSE:

1.) history

2.) general physical exam

3.) detailed reproductive exam

Examples of history obtained for female BSE

-age

-purpose

-status (maiden, open, barren)

-cycle lengths and characteristics

-previous pregnancies

-fertility of male used

Components of reproductive exam in females:

1.) vulva examination

2.) mammary gland examination

3.) internal repro evaluation

What is important to note on vulva examination? Why?

a good vulvar seal; vulva is the first barrier to preventing uterine infection, and a good seal will prevent introduction of bacteria that occur when defecating

mammary gland examination includes:

-size

-symmetry

-temperature

-gross lesions

A routine internal repro evaluation differs between ______ and _______ animals

large; small

For large animals, an internal repro exam includes using __________ and ___________

palpation; ultrasound

For small animals, an internal exam is not...

routine in general screening

*though can use ultrasound in animals with fertility issues

Structures to be evaluated on internal repro exam:

-vestibule

-vagina

-cervix

-uterus

-ovaries

-oviducts

The first step before any internal examination should be to...

confirm female is NOT pregnant

*invasive procedures such as cultures and biopsy can cause abortion!

Four things to assess with ovaries:

1.) size

2.) follicles present (is she cycling?)

3.) CL present (evidence she ovulates)

4.) cysts/tumors

Three things to asses with the uterus:

1.) fluid

2.) early pregnancy

3.) foreign bodies

True or false: if a culture is taken on internal repro exam, a cytology must also be taken

true!

Why must a cytology also be done if a culture is taken?

the vagina is not sterile and has a normal microbiome; culture alone will grow something, but cytology tells you whether it's infection vs normal flora

Which species routinely get cultures/cytology during BSE?

mares and stallions

Why would a biopsy be performed during a female BSE?

if there are infertility issues

Vaginoscopy

visual examination of the vagina; "spec exam"

What species routinely have a vaginoscopy performed during a female BSE?

mares and cows

A vaginoscopy is ________ reward and _______ effort

high; low

A vaginoscopy can help detect:

-urine pooling

-pus

-tumors

-lacerations

-adhesions