Fertility issues in the horse Flashcards
What are examples of fertility issues in the stallion?
poor intrinsic fertility testicular degeneraiton partial ejaculation spermiostasis/ampullary accumulation bheavior STDs uncommon hemospermia/urospermia trauma, tumours other
What is the cause of poor stallion intrinsic fertiliy?
genetic
HOw do you know a stallion has poor intrinsic fertility?
repeat exam over months shows little variation
what stallions get idiopathic testicular degeneration?
aging horse
Is there a known cause of idiopathic testicular degeneraiton?
no
What are signs of idiopathic degeneration?
testes become soft
worsening spermiogram characteristics
rounds cells when looking at sperm cell morphology
What animals get partial ejaculation?
older stallion
often have other issues like lameness, cardio, neurologic–they may be painful and not wanting to spend a lot of time on the mare or thrust
fail to ejaculate or give partial ejaculate
How is partial ejaculation diagnosed?
signs of pain
partial ejaculate 4 pulses (less than the normal >7)
What animals may have behavioral abnormalities with regards to libido expression?
those that have received positive punishment in show ring for behavior–shuts down libido or misplaced aggression to handler
breeding injury
overuse
pasture mating stallion
What is a treatment for behavioral abnormalities?
patience
hormonal therapy–imipramine, , xylazine–lower ejaculation threshold
hCG–boost testosterone–not particularly effective
What is the most important STD to remember for canada?
pseudomonas/klebsiella seminal vesiculitis. Can have non-sick carrier stallion or carrier mare (more common in mare–clitoral fossa)
pseudomonas more cmmon
resulting endometritis causes fertility issues
is contagious equine metritis reportable in canada?
yes, we are considered CEM free
Are stallions with contagious equine metritis sick?
no
What kind of endometritis do horses get from contagious equime metritis?
quite purulent
doesn’t necessarily interfere with pregnancy–often cleared by time embryo reaches the uterus
Where is equine viral arteritis carriered in the non-sick carrier stallion?
ampullae.
Does canada have equine viral arteritis?
yes
What does equine herpes virus 3 cause?
vesicular lesions
on penis and prepuse of stallion on on vulva of the mare
(coital exanthema)
self-limiting
What is the appearnce of coital exanthema (EHV III) in the stallions and mares?
vesicular lesions, painful sores, scabs mares erupt a few days after breeding symptomatic care self limiting sexual rest (3weeks)
How might a stallion cause mare endometritis when there is not a STD involved?
could mechanically transfer uterine pathogens from mare to mare. not a true STD
Could happen in pasture breeding if stallion not cleaned in between
What is spermiostasis?
idiopathic condition, acquired accumulation of senescent sperm in the ampullae
large numbers of dead/devitalized decapitated sperm
(in normal horse, constantly shed)
when the horse ejaculates, see very large numbers of sperm cells, most dead/decapitated
tends to reoccur in horses
Is spermiostasis always bilateral?
no, can be bilateral or unilateral.
What might you feel on rectal with spermiostasis?
enlarged sex glands
What might you see on U/S of ampullae?
edema in wall, enlarged diameter
What is the treatment for spermiostasis?
oxytocin IV before collection, rectal massage possible
collect horse every day to try and get scenesent sperm out of there and more normal sperm coming out
prostaglandin can also be used
What is hemospermia?
frank blood on stallion at dismount or on colleciton.
What are rule outs for hemospermia?
vaginal wall laceration in mare
rupture of hymen
What is the most common cause of hemospermia?
urethral lesions
What are three causes of hemospermia?
urethral rent–communicates with corpus spongiosum–bleeding around ejaculation–high pressure
less bleeding:
-urethritis
-granulomatous lesions
How do you diagnose hemospermia?
urethroscopy after collection under sedation
usually in the pelvis?
What is the treatment for hemospermia?
1. sexual rest 3 weeks \+/- antibiotics recheck if no change repeat don't want to ejaculate 2. perneal urethrostomy 3. laser therapy
What is urospermia?
yellow residue in ejaculate, or urine
sperm and urine don’t mix!!
What is the cause or urospermia?
–may be bladder dysfunction
or urolithiasis–chronic cystitis
–sporatically due to resp problems like RAO
–HYPP homozygotes
–renal dz or PPID (PU/PD)
–train to urinate on command using natural clues: scent marking, freshly bedded stall
diuretic (furosemide) and food reward–urinate before collect
What can be the result of anabolic steroids (glucocorticoids–less significant) on fertility? (winstrol, equipoise)
induce poor spermatozoal quality
reduced libido
reduced testicular size
usually reversible but may take a long time
What is usually the cause of penile/preputal trauma?
breeding
What do you see when examining sperm of horses on anabolic steroids?
high percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm
What is a ddx for anabolic steroid use?
testicular degeneration
How do you treat trauma (penile etc)
support tissue: pressure wrap, NSAIDs, hydrotherapy
exercise
occasional surgical drainage–e.g. hematoma–adhesions an issue
COMPRESSION THERAPY
IV bag with a cuff
elastic tensor wraps
GET THINGS BACK IN THE PREPUCE AND KEEP THERE
occasionally purse string the prepuce (dont want to do)
LOTS OF TREATMENT
Why is winter time a bad time to get a penis trauma?
frost bite
What is a consequence of a penis/prepuce trauma that is not adequately treated?
fibrosis and granulation resulting in abnormal penis/prepuce—cannot retract etc. functionally infertile
no sensation so don’t ejaculate
consider penis removal but hard procedure
What is most common tumour of penis and prepuce?
squamous cell carcinoma
What animals msot commonly get tumors of penis and prepuce?
animals with light skinned areas (appaloosas, cremellos, palominos, buckskins, paints)
What is the treatment for tumor of penis and prepuce
5 fluorouracil topical--painful cryo therapy radiation--usually not available surgery (surgery and cryotherapy probably most common approach for small lesion) penile amputation--salvage
If see early depigmented areas (look like EHVIII lesions) and persist more than 3 weeks and not healing then what should you be thinking about/doing?
consider might be squamous cell carcinoma
biopsy
at this stage may be able to treat topically
Besides squmous cell carcinomas, what is a tumor of horses?
melanoma/melanosarcoma malignant typically spread and grwo slowly firm lesions, dark on cut surface grey horses-but not common even there
What is the treatment for melanomas?
debulk, therapy with H2 blocks (cimetidine) expensive can vaccinate (not sure if works for tumors on penis--hasn't really been checked)
What is the cause of papillomas?
viral etiology
What is the treatment for papillomas?
removal in most cases–debulk, cryotherapy
autogenous vaccines?
not common
what is a bean
accumulation of smegma etc
esp in geldings
What is the most common testicular tumor?
seminoma
usually unilateral
usually not malignant
What is the second most common testicular tumor?
teratoma
How do you cure horse of testicular tumor?
hemicastration
What is an issue with hemicastration?
can set up inflam in the other testicle
can lose fertility
