The Bull - MT Flashcards

1
Q

Which animal, the bull or the cow, is responsible for passing on the milk production gene?

A

The Bull

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2
Q

Why are libido testing & mating ability often NOT included in a routine Bull BSE?

A

Difficult & time-consuming tasks

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3
Q

What are the 4 essential attributes a bull is required to pass a BSE?

A
  1. Freedom from disease
  2. Good libio
  3. Physically sound (sheath conformation, scrotal circumference)
  4. Good semen quality

Basically must be able to ID estral cows, see, eat, walk

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4
Q

Why is it important to test the bull’s vision during a BSE?

A

Bulls ID estrual cows by sight

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5
Q

List the Accessory Sex Glands of the Bull.

Which one often causes the most problems?

A
  • Vesicular Glands/Seminal vesicles ⇒ causes the most problems
  • Prostate
  • Bulbourethral gland
  • Ampulla
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6
Q

Where is the storage site for sperm in the bull?

A

The tail of the epididymis

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7
Q

List the important players in sperm production.

A
  • Hypothalamus ⇒ GnRH
  • Anterior pituitary ⇒ LH & FSH
  • Sertoli cells (testes) ⇒ Inhibin & E2
  • Leydig cells (testes)⇒ Testosterone
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8
Q

Why are we concerned about the

scrotal circumference of bulls?

A

Bulls w/ small testes:

  • produce less sperm
  • have earlier testicular degeneration
  • produce offspring that reach puberty later
     **Bulls w/large testes:**
  • good sperm production
  • **offspring earlier puberty **
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9
Q

Where is scrotal circumference measured?

A

At the widest part of the scrotum

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10
Q

What is the minimum acceptable scrotal circumference for a bull > 24 months?

A

34 cm

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11
Q

What are some ways that a vet

can collect semen from a bull?

A
  • Rectal massage
  • AV
  • Electro-ejaculation
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12
Q

When should you place the AV on the penis when collecting semen via electro-ejaculation?

A

Put the AV on once you see white

(don’t collect the clear fluid)

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13
Q

What are the minimum standards a bull must meet in order to pass the Semen Quality exam?

A
  • Fair gross motility (generalized oscillation)
  • > 30% individual motility
  • > 70% normal sperm cell morphology
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14
Q

What should the volume of the

spermatozoa + seminal fluid be?

A

1 - 6 mL

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15
Q

What stain is used to evaluate bull sperm?

What color is live sperm? dead sperm?

A

Eosin-nigrosin stain

Live = White

**Dead = Pink **

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16
Q

What are the 3 ways to classify sperm abnormalities?

A
  1. Site of abnormality on the sperm
    • head, midpiece or tail
  2. Orgin of defect
    • 1° ⇒ testes (spermatogenesis)
    • 2° ⇒ epididymis
    • 3° ⇒ post-ejaculation (handling, etc)
  3. Effects on fertility
    • Major vs. minor
    • Compensable vs. uncompensable
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17
Q

What morphological sperm defect is commonly seen?

What does it indicate?

A
  • Proximal protoplasmic droplets
  • Scrotal injury or testicular heating
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18
Q

What will correct a compensable spermatic defect?

A

Increasig the sperm dose

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19
Q

What can cause orchitis in bulls?

A
  • Brucellosis (~ 61 d)
  • A. pyogenes
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20
Q

Define Testicular Hypoplasia.

A

total or partial lack of development

**of spermatogenic tissue; congenital i.e it never developed **

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21
Q

Define Testicular degeneration.

A

total or parital LOSS of spermatogenic tissue

usually following an insult e.g orchitis, fever, trauma (it was there but now its atrophied)

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22
Q

Define a Hydrocoele.

A

Accumulation of fluid btwn the

tunica vaginalis, parietalis & visceralis

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23
Q

Define a Hematocoele.

A

Accumulation of blood btwn the

tunica vaginalis, parietalis & visceralis

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24
Q

What is a spermatocoele?

A

cyst/sperm granuloma caused by leakage of sperm cells into surrounding tissue

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25
Q

What is a varicocoele?

A

dilated veins in the pampiniform plexus associated with testicular atrophy

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26
Q

What is the treament protocol for Fibro-papilloma that causes bleeding on the prepuce.

A
  • Tissue vax
  • Surgical removal
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27
Q

What term indicates a stricture of the preputial orifice that prevents the penis from being protruded?

A

Phimosis

28
Q

What is the term that indicates an inability to withdraw the penis into the prepuce?

A

Paraphimosis

29
Q

List possible causes of Phimosis.

A
  • Persistent penile frenulum
  • Penile hematoma
  • Penile fibro-papilloma
  • **Trauma to preputial opening or sx for preputial prolapse **
30
Q

If you visualize swelling in front of the scrotum of a bull, what should be on your rule out list?

A
  • Penile rupture
  • Penile hematoma
31
Q

List the venereal diseases that you need to be concerned about in the bull?

A
  • Campylobacter
  • Mycoplasma
  • Tritrichomonas
  • BVDv
  • BHV-1 (IBR)
32
Q

What stain is used when doing a

Live-Dead Count of spermatozoa?

A

Nigrosin-eosin stain

33
Q

What is the minimum a number of sperm one has to count in order to perform an accurate

“Live-Dead Count”?

A

@ least 500 sperm

34
Q

Which sperm are alive?

Which sperm are dead?

A

Sperm 2 is the only live sperm in this picture

(1, 3 & 4 are dead)

35
Q

What can the presence of small “clots” or blood in the ejaculate be indicative of?

A

Seminal vesiculitis

36
Q

What is the normal volume of ejaculate for a bull?

A

4 mL avg.

(2 - 10 mL)

37
Q

What is the normal sperm concentration per ejaculate?

A

1250 million/mL avg.

(600 - 2800million/mL)

38
Q

What is the normal total number

of sperm per ejaculate?

A

~ 4-5 billion

39
Q

What is the exceptable progressive motility rate?

A

> 70% have to show progressive motility

40
Q

What percentage of sperm have to have normal morphology in order to be used?

A

> 75% must show normal morphology

41
Q

During what part of the collection/AI process are sperm the most likely to die?

A

During the freezing & thawing phases

42
Q

Why can we dilute out bull semen and still achieve high conception rates w/ AI?

A

Intra-uterine insemination requires 10-100X less sperm

than natural cover

43
Q

Which diseases are easily spread through bull semen?

A
  • FMD**
  • BVDv**
  • IBR (BHV-1)
  • IPVV
  • Trichomonas
  • Campylobacter fetus
  • Campylobacter venerealis
  • Lepto. hardjo
44
Q

Which disease are unlikely to be spread through

bull semen?

A
  • Malignant catarrhal fever
  • EBL
  • Johne’s Dz.
  • Q-fever
  • Bovine Spongiform Encephalitis (BSE)
  • Akabane Dz.
45
Q

When can you consider a bull disease free?

A

Absence of infection for 21 days

46
Q

What machince can be used to “sex” sperm?

Drawbacks?

A
  • Flow cytometry
  • Not 100% reliable
  • costly
  • low fertility
  • requires 50,000 sperm/dose
  • Must perform deep uterine AI close to a follicle for good results
47
Q

What type of penis do bulls have?

A

**Fibroelastic **

48
Q

**Which is more prone to issues due to poor sheath conformation: * Bos indicus* or Bos taurus **

A

Bos indicus

49
Q

When palpating the testes, how do you want them to feel?

A

Want firm and elastic, freely moveable, same size

50
Q

If you see neutrophils in semen, which accessory sex gland may be affected?

A

Vesicular glands

51
Q

What color do you want semen to be?

What could yellow semen indicate?

Grey semen?

Red/brown semen?

A

White/ivory

yellow - urine/pus

grey - low [sperm]

red/brown - blood

52
Q

What consistency do you want semen to be? Why?

Smell?

pH?

A

Creamy : correlated with [sperm]

mild cholreine smell

pH +/- 6.2 (alkaline = urine)

53
Q

When evaluating sperm microscopically to observe the gross motility, what are the movements you may observe, and are they good or bad?

A
  • Rapidly swirling = very good
  • Slower swirling = good
  • generalized oscillation = fair
  • sporadic oscillation = poor
54
Q

Indiviual motility of semen must be > = __

A

> = 30%

55
Q

Compensable or Non-compensable: Which one penetrates the zona pellucida?

A

Non-compensable –> sperm can penetrate ZP, but either cant cause fertility or cause EED

56
Q

Venereal diseases are an important part of BSE –> which are the 2 main ones

A
  • **Tritrichomonas foetus **
  • **Campylobacter fetus subsp. veneralis **
57
Q

Do bulls show C/S with veneral dz such as Tritrich or Campy?

What can you see in the cow?

How do you dx?

A

Bulls = No C/S

Cows may have EED (common); abortions (uncommon)

Dx: sheath scrape or sheath was in bulls –> 3 tests 3 weeks apart –> send for culture or PCR

58
Q

What are the congenital issues that can affect bull fertility?

A
  • Cryptorchid
  • Testicular hypoplasia
  • Segmental aplasia of epididymis (rare)
  • Inguinal hernia (uncommon)
59
Q

What are the acquired issues that can affect bull fertility?

A
  • Orchitis (Brucella)
  • Testicular degeneration due to orchitis, fever, trauma, stress, nutrition
  • Spermatic granuloma/spermatocoele (more common in small ruminants)
60
Q

What are the C/S of orchitis?

Unilateral or Bilateral?

Causes?

DDx?

A

C/S

  • Hot, swollen, painful

Often Unilateral

Causes

  • Trauma, penetrating wound, hematogenous spread

DDx

  • **Brucella **
61
Q

If dealing with unilateral orchitis, what may you need to do?

A

May need to perform a hemi-orchidectomy in valuble breeding animals ASAP to save the unafected teste before heat damages it

62
Q

What is a spermatic granuloma?

Who is it more common in?

A

Spermatic Granuloma

  • Autoimmune reaction to sperm due to their haploid state –> granuloma
  • Due to leakage of sperm into th surrounding tissues sue to damage (usually epididymal damage)

More common in bucks/rams

63
Q

What are the congenital issues affecting the penis that affect fertility?

Acquired?

Which is more important: congenital or acquired?

A

Congenital

  • Persisten penile frenulum
  • Rainbow or corkscrew penis
  • Diphallus (rare)

**Acquired **

  • **Fibropapilloma **
  • Penile hematoma/broken penis
  • Preputial prolapse
  • Balanoposthitis
  • Phimosis/Paraphimosis

​Acquired conditions are very important

64
Q

What is ruptured with a hematoma penis/broken penis?

Pathognomonic sign of Hematoma penis/broken penis

Prognosis?

A

Tunica albuginea is ruptured

Swelling just cranial to scrotum and proximal to sigmoid flexure

Poor to guarded prognosis

65
Q

Preputial Prolapse

Causes?

What prolapses?

Tx?

Complications?

A

Causes

  • Poor sheath conformation, tick bites, abscess

Lamina interna prolapses thru preputial opening

Tx

  • conservative or surgical

Complications

  • stenosis formation and phimosis
66
Q

What is Balanoposthitis? Cause?

A

Inflammation of the glans and prepuce

Usually caused by bovine herpes virus