FAEP Breeding Soundness Exam Short Course
February 6, 2010Equine Medical Center of Ocala
7107 W Hwy 326
Ocala, FL 34482
Featuring:
Corey Miller, DVM, MS, DACT,
Marie E. Cadario, DVM, MS, DACT
Catherine DeLuca, DVM, MS, DACT
click the thumbnails for a larger image
Registration limited to 30 attendees.
Cost:
Free for FAEP members & $300 for non–members. So register early.
Register by emailing the FAEP ericfaep@aol.com
Summary:
This Breeding Soundness Examination (BSE) short course is designed to present veterinarians with a general and comprehensive approach for examining the reproductive health of a mare and stallion before being purchased, during the breeding season or when facing infertility. Current techniques, strategies and therapies used to evaluate and optimize fertility aptitude will be discussed.
The short course will be rotating sessions of a complete BSE demonstration and 30 minutes of discussion/questions. The objective of this course is a pre breeding season reminder/review of the diagnostics for the normal and problem mare.
A complete BSE of the mare includes the history, general physical evaluation, examination of the external genitalia and mammary gland, palpation and ultrasound (U/S) per rectum of the ovaries and uterus, speculum/manual examination of the vagina and cervix, and collection of endometrial specimens for bacteriology, cytology and histology (biopsy)
It is recommended to make a standard form to record examination findings to ensure completion (or “no area left behind”).
The history should include characteristics of prior estrous cycles, previous breedings/pregnancies and their outcomes, endometritis or other reproductive problems, therapies and responses.
During the physical exam, the tail and inner thighs should be checked for the presence of a vulvar discharge indicative of endometritis or urine pooling. The conformation of the perineal area and the vulvar lips has an important role in uterine contamination. Per-rectum palpation and U/S allow evaluating the size, shape and presence of a dominant follicle or corpus luteum in the ovaries, and the tone and presence of edema or fluid in the uterus. The latter is frequently indicative of susceptibility to endometritis. It is very important to evaluate cervical competence since an impaired cervix is responsible for infertility, early embryonic death and abortion. It cannot be evaluated during the vaginal speculum examination; it should be manually/digitally evaluated for adhesions, lacerations and openings/closure.
Different methods (swab, brush, low volume lavage, biopsy) may be used to obtain endometrial samples for cytology and bacteriology. Advantages for each one will be discussed during the short course.
The histological evaluation of the endometrium provides information about degenerative or inflammatory changes and the ability of that particular uterus to carry a pregnancy to term. Taking a biopsy is highly recommended when selecting recipients for embryo transfer.
A thorough breeding soundness evaluation should diagnose reproductive abnormalities, allowing the institution of an appropriate therapy before breeding and not after a series of frustrating and expensive failures. It is definitively time and cost effective for the veterinarian and client.
Stallion Summary
The stallion portion of this wet lab will review the basic equipment and techniques used to perform a stallion breeding soundness examination. This portion will include: examination of the external genitalia via palpation and ultrasound, evaluation of libido and mating ability, examination for veneral disease, semen collection, and semen evaluation (including gross evaluation, spermatozoal concentration, motility, and morphology).