breeding soundness exam of male Flashcards
Breeding soundness exam - definition & aspects
exam to predict likelihood of fertility (of sperm), primarily for natural breeding
- hx + signalment
- PE
- repro exam
- semen collection & evaluation
Why is assessing vision a crucial aspect of the PE?
Ruminants: bulls need to be able to see the signs from the cows that they are approachable (for mounting) — (cows will mount each other as a signal to the bulls)
Dogs: e.g., cherry eye can be hereditary
Why is assessing the feet & legs a crucial aspect of the PE?
- don’t want to breed any genetic problems
- want to assess for any husbandry issues (which are fixable)
male needs to be able to stand & mount the female
Testicular orientation of the bull, ram & buck
Pendulous - vertical
Testicular orientation of the stallion & dog
Craniocaudal orientation - horizontal
Testicular orientation of the boar & tomcat
Cranioventral orientation - oblique
What determines sperm output? How is it measured?
Scrotal size = more testicular mass = bigger capacity to produce sperm
- Pendulous scrotum = scrotal circumference
- Non-pendulous scrotum = caliper measurement
What accessory glands can you assess during the internal genitalia examination?
- Ampulla
- Bulbourethral Gland (BUGS)
- Prostate (disseminate vs. body)
- Vesicular Glands
Semen definition
spermatozoa (sperm//from testes via epididymis) + seminal plasma (from ASGs)
Two methods for semen collection
Artificial Vagina & Electroejaculator – collect the sperm-rich fraction (cloudy/white)
What is assessed during a sperm evaluation?
gross appearance (color/consistency), volume/sperm concentration (AV only), sperm motility (keep them warm!), morphology (spermiogram – microscopic)
What is the first thing to assess on a spermiogram?
Motility b/c sperm is very time/temperature-sensitive (keep the sample warm!)
What is the most important aspect to assess during spermiogram?
Sperm Morphology
- any defects can have significant impact on fertility
Primary versus Secondary abnormalities to sperm
- Primary come from testes – insult during spermatogenesis (head, mid-piece, severe tail defects)
- Secondary arise within epididymis – insult during sperm maturation/storage (detached heads, distal droplets, mid-tail defects)
Compensable versus Non-Compensable sperm defects
Compensable: sperm with bent tails will never be competitive against normal sperm (b/c they CANNOT swim in straight line to oocyte), so increasing sperm dose WILL compensate for them.
Non-Compensable: sperm with pyriform heads will still be competitive against normal sperm (b/c they CAN still swim in straight line to oocyte), so increasing sperm dose will NOT compensate for them.
