Small Ruminant Cases Flashcards
methods of pregnancy diagnosis (4)
-ram marker harness; to determine if return to estrus
-udder palpation; last few weeks of gestation
-abdominal ballottment; after 110-120 days gestation
-biopryn ELISA; 30 days post breeding
goat specific method of pregnancy diagnosis (2)
Digital palpation of cervix
- After 30 days gestation can no longer feel
Estrone sulfate in serum, urine or milk
- After 50 days gestation
when should you use ultrasound to count for fetuses? and what do you need to do to prep for it
- 42 days after male removed (50 to 90 days of pregnancy)
- Hold off feed overnight
- Dry wool
- Handling facilities
- Curvilinear probe
why is it important to know how many fetuses there are
Feeding ewes on the basis of litter size (+ body condition, parity)
length of cycle for sheep vs goat
sheep = 17d
goat = 21d
benchmarks of success in different types of breeding
unsynchronized in season
-preg rate to first cycle; 70-80%
-preg rate over breeding period; 95-100%
synchronized
-preg rate in season; 60-70%
-preg rate during anolvulatory season; 50-70%
caprine false pregnancy; how common, presentation, diagnosis and treatment
- Common – up to 10% of herd
Presentation
- Anestrus
- Enlarged abdomen
- May be no breeding history
Diagnosis
- U/S – no placentomes or fetus
Treatment
- PG – single or double treatment
intersex in goats; what causes it, % of doelings, % of bucklings
- Polled X Polled breeding
25% of doelings are PP doelings:
- May be true hermaphrodites
- May be pseudohermaphrodites
- Range from phenotypic females with or without masculinized sex organs to phenotypic males
25% of bucklings are PP bucklings
- Often sterile with sperm
granulomas
intersex in ewe lambs occurs _% of time in mixed sex pregnancy
5%
caprine cystic ovarian disease; what does it present as, treatment and how common
-Presents as anestrus / persistent estrus / irregular cycles
Treatment
- HCG (500 iu) or GNRH (100 to 250iu)
- PGF2α 9 days later
Irregular cycles are also common in
goats
-Shortened or lengthened / split heats
-Worse at beginning & end of season
-Teaser doe or buck will improve
can goat and sheep breeding happen?
it can but live births are very rare. most abort <60 days with occasional negative outcome for the doe
how to induce abortion in sheep vs goats, what do we have to wait for
-Wait 11 days from the event to make sure active corpus luteum
Sheep
- < 50 d gestation PGF2α
- > 50 d gestation, PGF2α + dexamethasone (once a day for 2 to 3 days)
Goat
-PGF2α at any stage of gestation
induction of parturitionl; when to do, how to do in sheep vs goats
-When breeding dates are certain – post 142d gestation
-Concentrate lambing / kidding for labour, facilities
Sheep:
-Dexamethasone i.m.
-Will lamb 24 h to 72 h later.
-PGF2α will not work as pregnancy not CL dependent
Goat:
-Dexamethasone i.m.
-Results variable 7 to 10 d
-PGF2α will work as well as pregnancy is CL dependent
when should a BSE be done on a ram and what are the components?
BSE should be done
-Pre-breeding at least annually
-If suspect a problem
-Prepurchase
Components
-Physical examination of the animal
-Examination of the scrotum and contents
-Examination of the prepuce and penis
-Semen collection and inspection
what to look at during the BSE related to feet, legs, teeth and eyes
Feet; Straight and clean and no footrot or deformity
Legs
-No signs of malformations
-No chorioptic mange
-Soundly moves out
Teeth; No over or under bite or loss of premolars
Eyes; Clear, no evidence of entropion or pinkeye
scrotal circumference benchmark for >70kg vs >110kg ram
> 70kg = >30 cm
110kg = >36cm
what to look at with the testes specifically during the ram BSE
-Freely moveable from the scrotum
-Uniform in size
-Firm to touch but not hard or lumpy
-Orchitis = swelling, hard, draining tracts (Actinobacillus seminus)
-May be hypoplasia secondary to injury or infection
what to look at with the epididymis specifically during the ram BSE
-Tail easily palpable but soft, uniform
-Head also palpable, feels softer and smaller
-Hard lumps or increased size indicates inflammation – epididymitis
what can cause epididymitis in rams
brucella ovis
what to look at with the scrotum specifically during the ram BSE
-Chorioptes bovis (sheep / goat strain) is commonly found on fetlocks and pasterns as well as scrotum (Heats testicles and causes subfertility of rams and bucks)
-Scrotal swelling – hernia or hematoma
semen collection techniques (2)
electroejaculator (sheep only)
artificial vagina (sheep and goats)
what can happen when rams mount each other in group housing
Can cause ascending orchitis / epididymitis
a buck with poor libido is ____
unusual
criteria for teaser bucks and rams (3)
- Vasectomy
- Epididectomy
- Not too big
