Logical Approach to Repro tract disease

Question 1

What important findings should be found out from the history in repro tract problems?

Answer 1

Age, breed, sex. Neutered or entire? (VERY IMPORTANT) Females - last season, normal or abnormal? Any mating. Current or planned use of the animal.

Question 2

What should be included in the clinical exam of a repro case of a female?

Answer 2

General PE + vulva + mammary glands + response to behavioural stimuli e.g. pressure on rump. A rectal or vaginal exam can be done (vaginal may be resented)

Question 3

What should be included in the clinical exam of a repro case of a female?

Answer 3

General PE + scrotum and testes + prepuce and penis, may do mammary glands, may also do a rectal exam (can check prostate this way)

Question 4

What are the normal signs of oestrus?

Answer 4

Vulval enlargement, standing on rump pressure (may displace tail), haemorrhagic/straw coloured discharge, characteristic smell.

Question 5

What types of further diagnostic tests can be done to further investigate a repro problem?

Answer 5

Haem/biochem, hormonal assays, diagnostic imaginging (radiograph, ultrasound, MRI, CT), endoscopy, urinalysis (as closely connected), may aspirate or biopsy.

Question 6

In a repro case, when is using ultrasonography most useful?

Answer 6

Good at parenchymous organs, allow you to distinguish fluid, assess viale pregnancy, detect free abdominal fluid, abnormal pathology or change

Question 7

In a repro case, when is using ultrasonography least useful?

Answer 7

Not good at imaging intrapelvic structures, not good at detecting bony change

Question 8

In a repro case, when is using radiography most useful?

Answer 8

Imaging bony changes e.g. foetal mineralisation and number, pelvic anatomy, injury to os penis. Contrast is also very good for luminal disparaties.

Question 9

When looking at a vaginal cytology swab, what are the cells like during periods when no oestrogen is present (anoestrus and dioestrus)?

Answer 9

The vaginal wall is very thin, and compromised of non cornified cells. In anoestrus there will be very few cells.

Question 10

What happens on vaginal cytology during proestrus? Why?

Answer 10

Increasing oestrogen causes the vaginal epithelium to become hyperplastic, and more cornified. May see some RBC.

Question 11

What happens on vaginal cytology during oestrus? Why?

Answer 11

During oestrus the vaginal epithelium is very thick and is very cornified. There may be some ‘sheeting of cells’ towards the end of oestrus.