Lecture 8

Question 1

Definition of abortion

Answer 1

Expulsion of a non viable fetus and its membranes between 50 and 300 days of gestation

*before this is early embryonic death and after this is still birth

Question 2

What are the main causes of equine abortions?

Answer 2

Twin pregnancies
Umbilical cord torsion
Viral, bacterial, or fungal infections
Digestion of large amount of eastern tent caterpillars

Question 3

What causes umbilical cord torsion?

Answer 3

Excessively long umbilical that twists and restricts blood flow

Question 4

What are two viral agents that cause abortions?

Answer 4

Equine rhinopneumonitis (herpes 1)

Equine viral arteritis

• both of theses are reportable diseases

Question 5

What does EHV-1 cause?

Answer 5

Resp disease, neurological disease, abortion

Question 6

How is EHV 1 transmitted?

Answer 6

Respiratory, contact with infected tissue, placenta, fetuses, or fluids

Question 7

What is special about EHV 1

Answer 7

The virus stays viable for several weeks in the environment

Question 8

What does EHV1 cause?

Answer 8

Late abortions

“Abortion storms” in unvaccinated horses

Question 9

How to diagnose EHV1?

Answer 9

Necropsy- foci of liver and edematous lungs
Histopathology- eosinophilic inclusion bodies
Virus isolation
PCR

Question 10

How to treat or prevent EHV1?

Answer 10

No treatment

Prevent by vaccinating mares during months 5,7, and 9 months of pregnancy

Question 11

What is equine viral arteritis?

Answer 11

Is carried by stallions and causes abortions in mares

Question 12

How is EAV transmitted

Answer 12

Respiratory or venereal

Question 13

What is special about EAV?

Answer 13

Can survive in frozen semen

Question 14

What are clinical signs of EAV?

Answer 14

Fever, lacrimation ,nasal discharge, and edema of legs, ventral abdomen, and/or scrotum

Question 15

what are the repro consequences of infection with EAV?

Answer 15

The mare that is infected by the carrier stallion will not loose that pregnancy…but she will transmit the virus to mares in late gestation who will abort

Question 16

Fetuses aborted from EAV are usually what?

Answer 16

Partially autolyzed

May also develop pneumonia in utero

Question 17

How to diagnose EAV?

Answer 17

Send blood and semen to approved lab

Question 18

How to prevent EAV?

Answer 18

Test all breeding stallions once a year

Vaccinate- difficult because horse must be isolated for 21 days and has to be approved by the state veterinarian

Question 19

What are bacterial causes of abortions

Answer 19

Bacterial placentitis (ascending, hematogenous, nocardioform)
Lepto
Abortions caused by endotoxemia

Question 20

What is the most common cause of equine abortion in the US

Answer 20

Bacterial placentitis

Question 21

What agents cause ascending placentitis

Answer 21

S. Zooepidemicus
E. Coli
Klebsiella pneumonia
Pseudomonas

Question 22

What causes nocardioform placentitis

Answer 22

Nocardioform actinomycetes

Question 23

What causes hematogenous placentitis

Answer 23

Leptospira

Question 24

What are clinical signs of bacterial placentits?

Answer 24

Vaginal discharge
Premature mammary gland development
Abortion without warning signs
Increased CTUP and placental separation on ultrasound

Question 25

How to diagnose nocardioform placentits

Answer 25

Ultrasound- transabdominal Pus on US Unlike ascending placentitis, cervix will be fine

Question 26

What will you see grossly on the placenta with cases of bacterial placentitis

Answer 26

Avillous areas

Question 27

How to treat bacterial placentitis

Answer 27

Systemic antibiotics (TMS, penicillin, gentamicin) Altrenogest (regumate) NSAIDs Pentoxifylline

Question 28

What are infertility problems in mare?

Answer 28

``` Ovarian tumors Anovulatory follicles Developmental abnormalities Abnormalities of external genitalia Uterine abnormalities/infections ```

Question 29

What are ovarian tumor types?

Answer 29

Granulosa theca cell tumor Cystadenoma Dysgerminoma Teratoma

Question 30

What is the most common ovarian tumor

Answer 30

Granulosa theca cell tumor

Question 31

What is granulosa theca cell tumor?

Answer 31

Hormonally active, benign Unilateral enlargement of one ovary The opposite ovary will be small and inactive

Question 32

What are clinical signs of GTCT

Answer 32

Behavioral changes- stallion like responses, aggression, anestrus, persisten estrus

Question 33

How do diagnose GTCT

Answer 33

Transrectal palpation- enlarged ovary, lack of ovulation fossa US- multi cystic, solid (rare) Elevated inhibin, testosterone, and AMH Normal progesterone

Question 34

How to treat GCTC

Answer 34

Surgery- remove entire affected ovary and mare returns to cycling

Question 35

What is contagious equine metritis

Answer 35

Highly contagious venereal reportable disease

Question 36

What causes CEM

Answer 36

Taylorella equigenitalis- gram negative coccobacillus

Question 37

How is CEM transmitted

Answer 37

Venereal route Contact with contaminated objects Semen collection

Question 38

CEM clinical signs in mare

Answer 38

Intense neutrophilic endometritis/metritis Short term infertility Rare abortions Gray/white discharge

Question 39

CEM clinical signs in stallions

Answer 39

No clinical signs Local infection on penis Develop carrier state

Question 40

How to diagnose CEM in mare

Answer 40

Swabs from clitoral fossa, clitoral sinus, and endometrium **must culture these three times on three separate days over one week

Question 41

How to diagnose CEM in stallion

Answer 41

Swab fossa glandis, urethral sinus, urethra, prepuce, penile body Cultures may be falsely negative Breed to two test mares

Question 42

How to treat CEM

Answer 42

Report to state vet Quarantine for 21 days Clean and pack