Female Small Ruminant Female Infertility and Abortions

Question 1

When should you perform a BSE on a female SR?

Answer 1

Pet or valuable
Several failed attempts at breeding
Pre-bred or dystocia

Question 2

What is part of a normal BSE on female SR?

Answer 2

History - nutrition, vax, biosecurity, pasture assessment
Breeding Program Details - AI vs live cover, male selection
Estrous Cycle Patters - duration heat and interestrus intervals
Repro history- previous preg, dystocia and abortion
BCS
FAMACHA
Polled vs Horned Phenotype
External Genitalia - anogenital distance, clitoris size, vulvar conformation
Internal Genitalia: Vagina, cervicx, uterus, ovaries, lapai, Hormones

Question 3

How can you evaluate the internal genitalia?

Answer 3

Ultrasound - rectal probe with nasogastric tube
Speculum

Question 4

What are some non-infectious causes of infertility and abortion in female SR?

Answer 4

Toxic Plants
Pharmaceuticals
Stress
Nutrition/BCS/Deficencies
Persistant Cl
Hydrometra/Mucometra
Cystic Ovary
Neoplasia

Question 5

Which toxic plant has teratogenic alkaloid and causes EED in first 10 days, Fetal abnormalities like cyclopia day 12-14 and hypoplasia of metacrapals D25-36?

Answer 5

Veratrum Californicum

Question 6

What toxic plant causes abortions, small weak lambs and bent legs in newborns, with up to 75% ewes exposed and the toxin effects the fetal-placental unit?

Answer 6

Locoweed

Question 7

What weed is an ecbolic toxin that causes aboriton and birth of small weak premature lambs GI upset, Hematuriaand death in arid regions of western US?

Answer 7

Broom Weed

Question 8

What are some other teratogenic plants?

Answer 8

Lupinus, Conium, hemlock, tobacco, sorgum

May mistake for bunyvarius infections

Heart defect, cleft palate, GI atresia, neuro defect, neural tibe defect, congenital issues

Question 9

What does ingestion of flixweed cause?

Answer 9

Goiters
Decreased hair
Higher birth weight
Thyroid hyperplasia in fetus

Question 10

What toxic plant can you take a sample of fetal ocular fluid to ID the toxin?

Answer 10

Flixweed

Question 11

What signs does ergot alkaloid cause? Where does this toxin come from?

Answer 11

Tall fescue with netyphodium coenopialum

Decreased repro efficiency, high temp, slough of tail, nose and ears - prolactin production affected, increase interval from intro ram to conception

Question 12

Which plants are estrogen producing?

Answer 12

Clover and Alfalfa

Question 13

What signs do animals have who consume estrogen producing plants?

Answer 13

Infertility, irregular/prolonged heat, vaginal prolapse, cystic glandular hyperplasia of cervix, cystic glandular hyperplasia, enlarged teat, inappropriate lactation

Question 14

Which pharmaceuticals can cause abortion in SR?

Answer 14

Chlorpromazine, Phenylbutazone, Corticosteroid (late), Benzimidazole, albendazole, netobimin - given in first trimester - fetal abnormalities, levamisole in final months

Question 15

Who is more likely to be affected by stress in late pregnancy and what can happen?

Answer 15

Goats
-Predator, weather change, shear and heat stress

Decrease repro, fetal waste, EED, abortion, still birth, decreased water intake, exercise intolerance

Prevent - shear, shade, good BCS, trace mineral and water

Question 16

How does poor BCS effect repro?

Answer 16

Suppress libido, EED, decreased fetl growth, decreased placenta, mummification

Over conditioned - hepatic lipidosis and preg tox in late gestation

Question 17

What vitamins are commonly SR ewes deficient in?

Answer 17

VA, VE, Selenium, Copper, Manganese and Iodine

Question 18

What causes swayback in newborn lambs?

Answer 18

Copper Deficiency

Question 19

How can you determine if the animal is pregnant or has a hydrometra/mucometra?

Answer 19

Ultrasound and find anechoic fluid in the uterus but no cardinal signs of pregnancy
(pseudopreg)
High p4 on bloodwork
Goat common - treat with prostaglandin (can do CIDR to help)
EED and loss - spontaneous abortion and resorption

Question 20

Who is most likely to get cystic ovarian disease?

Answer 20

Goats

Question 21

What is considered a cyctic ovary in SR?

Answer 21

Graafian follicle >12mm

Treat - hCG or GNRH

Question 22

What is your top differential for a nymphomania and precocious udder?

Answer 22

Granulosa Tumor
-Very rare
-See on ultrasound - enlarged ovary with no structures
-Treat with ovariectomy

Question 23

What are some differentials for Vaginitis?

Answer 23

Ecthyma (orf)
Caprine Herpesvirus 1
Granular Vulvovaginitis - mycoplasma, acholeplasma, truperella, staph

Question 24

What should be part of your abortion work up?

Answer 24

Clinical signs - return to estrus? unobserved aboriton? blood tinged vaginal discharge
HX, PE, Fetal/placenta exam, maternal serology

Question 25

Which is a zoontotic, gram negative intracellular bacteria that causes enzootic abortion due to necrotizing placentitis, is one of the most common causes of infeciton abortion in SR? Buck can get epididymitis, keratoconjunctivity, pneumonia, polyarthritis, late term abortion (+100d)

Answer 25

Chlamydophilia abortus

Question 26

What does Chlamydophilia abortus placenta look like and how do you treat it?

Answer 26

Placenta - thickened, white, gray, yellow, red cotyledons -White on liver Oxytetracycline, tylosin Cull affected female, pre-bred vax, biosecurity

Question 27

What is the causative agent of Q fever?

Answer 27

Coxiella burnetti

Question 28

What kind of organism is coxiella burnetti? How does it cause abortion?

Answer 28

Zoonotic, obligate intracellular rickettsial organism Placentitis in goat - white mineralization Shed in placenta, uterine fluid, milk, urine, feces, semen

Question 29

How do you treat coxiella burnetti?

Answer 29

Cull

Question 30

What pathogen is zoontoic, gram negative microaerophilic rod that causes in utero fetal death and late term abortions?

Answer 30

Campylobacterisosis

Question 31

How is campylobacter transmitted? diagnosed and treated?

Answer 31

Fecal, aborted fetus, placenta Diagnose: culture (Clark) Treat: penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline Prevet: vax and biosecurity

Question 32

What are some other bacteria that cause abortion?

Answer 32

Brucellosis, listeria, salmonella, lepto, mollicutes, yersinia, opportunistic bacteria

Question 33

What is a zoonotic agent in sheep and goats, cats are the definate host that spread this pathogen through feces, and causes: <40d: Embryonic resportion 40-120d: Fetal mummification, maceration and abortion >120d: premature, stillborn, weak lamb, necrotixing placentisi

Answer 33

Toxoplasmosis (toxoplasma gondii)

Question 34

What disease are very similar to toxoplasma gondi?

Answer 34

coxiella, brucella, chlamydophila

Question 35

How do you ID and treat toxoplasmosis?

Answer 35

PCR, IHC, Fresh placenta, Serology Coccidiostat Biosecurity - keep kiteens away

Question 36

What are some viral causes of abortion?

Answer 36

Bunyaviridae - cache valley virus, akabane virus, rift valey fever -In utero death fetus -Diagnose - serology, congenital abnormalities Spread through mosquito and cullicoides

Question 37

What does Border disease (hairy shaker lamb) cause?

Answer 37

Abortion, congenital abnormalities, like BVD Cull

Question 38

How is bluetongue virus spread?

Answer 38

Culicoides - fetal death in utero hepatic necrosis