Female Infertility Flashcards
infertility
inability to reproduce by natural means
subfertility
any form of reduced fertility with prolonged time without conception or lower than usual conception
can be smaller than expected litter size
anestrus
the interval of sexual inactivity between two periods of heat OR the lack/absence of the expression of estrus
normal in dogs
abnormal in cows
shortened cycle
return to estrus in a shorter than expected range for inter estrus interval
ex split heat
prolonged cycle
longer than expected inter estrus interval when conception has not been attempted
ex pyometra
anovulation
absence of ovulation during a reproductive cycle
follicles present, corpus luteum NOT present
how do you evaluate individual fertility
breeding soundness exam
- history
- general health exam
- reproductive exam
steps to evaluate fertility in a dog with a normal estrous cycle
- establish male fertility
- check for underlying diseases
- review breeding management, perform karyotype/genetics testing
- vaginal cytology
- assess progesterone 1-3 weeks after estrus
- if LOW: ovulation failure or follicular cysts
- if NORMAL: endometritis vs patent uterus/oviduct vs fetal resorption vs antisperm antibodies
steps to evaluate fertility in a dog with a prolonged proestrus/estrus (>21 days)
- cytology
- estradiol
- if HIGH w/ 60%+ superficial cells: follicular cyst - ultrasound
how to treat follicular cysts in dogs
FSH, GnRH, or surgical removal
steps to evaluate fertility in a dog with a shortened interestrus (<4 months)
- measure progesterone within 3-4 weeks of estrus
- did the dog ovulate?
- NO: is the dog < or > 2 years?
- YES: estrus is being suppressed; treat with progestogens, androgens, GnRH agonists - if < 2 years –> split heat, will resolve on its own
- if > 2 years –> induce estrus
steps to evaluate fertility in a dog with a prolonged interestrus (>10 months)
- vaginal cytology
- if silent heat –> breed next cycle
- if no silent heat –> measure P4 - progesterone
- if LOW: prolonged anestrus or OVH –> induce estrus
- if NORMAL: prolonged diestrus –> rule out luteal cysts with US, treat with OVX
how to determine date of whelping
measure progesterone or LH levels 65 days after LH surge
when should you elect for a scheduled C section
- brachycephalics
- small litter size in medium/large breed dogs
dystocia
mild or intermittent labor contractions > 2 hours without progressing to hard labor (ex. puppy obstruction)
OR
hard, continuous contractions >30 minutes without the appearance of a puppy (ex. uterine inertia)
when is an emergency C section indicated
if cause of dystocia is unidentifiable or untreatable
OR
if puppy HR < 100 or <130 without delivery within 2-3 hours
how do you evaluate herd fertility
epidemiological herd investigation
epidemiological herd investigation
evaluation of nutrition/environment, herd and management data, relationship of health/genetics/nutrition/vax
steps of an epidemiological herd investigation
- confirm low fertility
- obtain and assess data from health, nutrition, production, repro, and overall management
- find sufficient certainty about causes of infertility
- if unable: generate a hypothesis about potential causes and predict findings if hypothesis is true, then return to number 2 - apply intervention to mitigate the issue
- monitor results
what are the causes of infertility in females with normal cycles
- male infertility
- anatomic abnormalities
- reproductive tract disease
- breeding management
what are examples of anatomic abnormalities that cause infertility
prevents successful copulation
- abnormal genitalia (vulvar/perineal conformation)
- vaginal strictures
- vaginal septum
- cervical laceration
what are examples of reproductive tract diseases that cause infertility
endometritis
CEH
pyometra
what are the causes of infertility in females with abnormal cycles
- malnutrition
- developmental intersex
- endocrine dysregulation
- neoplasia
- anabolic steroids
- anovulatory follicles
- persistent CL
examples of how malnutrition causes infertility
- lack of nutrition –> nutritional anestrus
- excess BW – metabolic disorders
