Mare BSE

Question 1

How long is the inter-ovulatory interval in Horses? parts?

Answer 1

• T

Question 2

What is the Winter Anestrus Phase in mares?

Question 3

What happens during Spring Transition

Question 4

What happens during Fall Transition

Question 5

Why would a BSE be done on a mare? When should it be done?

Answer 5

• Indications:
  
  • Routine examinatino to determine readiness for breeding
  • ID cause of subfertility/infertility
  • Assist in determining future ability for breeding
  • After pregnancy loss
  • Pre-purchase or insurance examination
• When:
  
  • non-pregnant mare
  • Estrus: ⇡ uterine defense
  • Diestrus: cervical funtion

Question 6

What are all the parts of a routine mare BSE?

Answer 6

• Mare ID
• History (General Health and Reproductive)
• Physical Exam
• Rectal Palpation
• Transrectal Ultrasound
• Vaginal Examination
• Uterine Culture
• Uterine Cytology
• Uterine Bipsy
• Special Testing:
  
  • Hysteroscopy
  • Hormonal tests
  • Scintigraphy

Question 7

What are the different parts of mare reproductive history?

Answer 7

• Age
• maiden?
• Foal in recent years
  
  • or has it been several years
• How many foals? when was most recent?
• Barren: bred but never pregnant
• History of twins
• History of placentitis
• History of vaginal discharge
• When was last estrus
• Does she show estrous behavior
• How is the mare bred:
  
  • Live cover
  • AI (fresh cooled or frozen)
  • Embryo transfer
• Fertility of the stallion who provided semen?

Question 8

What are the anatomic barriers to Uterine COntamination

Answer 8

• Vulva
• Transverse fold
• Cervix

Question 9

What are some conformation problems of the reproductive tract of the mare?

Answer 9

• Poor vulval conformation
• Wind sucking

Question 10

What is Transrectal Ultrasound

Answer 10

• Linear-array transducer: 5-7.5 MHz
• Transducer parallel to the long axis of the mare
  
  • cervix and uterine body imaged longitudinally
  • Uterine horns imaged in cross section

Question 11

How is edema seen on transrectal scored?

Answer 11

Question 12

What is vaginoscopy? What pathologic changes can be observed?

Answer 12

• Visual inspection of vestibule, vagina and cervix
• Pathologic changes
  
  • Inflammatory exudate
  • pneumovagina
  • Urine pooling
  • Varicose veins
  • Vaginal and cervical lacerations
  • Adhesions
  • Persistent hymen

Question 13

What are the goals of uterine culture? When? How?

Answer 13

• Normal flora within the uterus
• Clitoris and vagina have normal flora that can be a source of pathogenic bacteria and fungi
• Goals:
  
  • Detect microorganisms
  • ID pathogens
  • Determine antimicrobial sensitivity
• Ideally collect during estrus
  
  • relaxed cervix
  • increased uterine contractions
  • increased uterine secretions
• Guarded swabs
• Low volume lavage
• uterine Biopsy

Question 14

What are the pathogens commonly found on Uterine Culture?

Answer 14

• Common Pathogens of Endometritis:
  
  • Streptococcus zooepidemicus
  • E. coli
• Venereal Pathogens
  
  • Klebsiella pneumonia
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Taylorella equigenitalis (CEM)
• Common Fungi:
  
  • Candida albicans
  • Aspergillus

Question 15

why perform Uterine cytology?

Answer 15

• Uterine culture w/out cytology is worthless
• Methods of prepping slides:
  
  • Rolling culture swab onto sterile microscope slides = Distorts cells
  • Tapping cap of kalayjian culture rod onto slides
  • Pellet form low volume lavage
  • separate cytobrush from culture swab

Question 16

What cells are seen on uterine cytology? why?

Answer 16

• Squamous cells - sampling from cervix or vagina, or urine pooling
• Neutrophils - endometritis, post-mating, uterine lavage or infusion, post-partum, blood contamination following collection process
• Macrophages - chronic endometritis
• Lymphocytes - chronic endometritis or lymphatic stais
• Eosinophils - pneumometra or urometra
• RBCs: post-partum, severe acute endometritis, traumatic sampling
• Calcium carbonate crystals - urometra

Question 17

How is uterine cytology interpreted ?

Answer 17

Question 18

How are uterine culture and cytology interpreted together?

Answer 18

• Not all bacteria cause an inflammatory response!
  
  • E. coli
  • Isolation of this bacteria w/out presence of neutrophils should be considered significant

Question 19

Why is Uterine biopsy done? What changes does it detect?

Answer 19

• Prognosis for fertility
• Assess for inflammation/infection in the deeper tissue
• Assess endometrial function
• Pathological changes:
  
  • Glandular degeneration
    
    • periglandular fibrosis and nesting
    • Dilated glands and atrophy of the glands
  • Lymphatic lacunae
    
    • dilated lymphatic vessels due to impaired lymphatic drainage
  • Inflammatory cell infiltration
    
    • Neutrophils - acute endometritis
    • Lymphocytes and plasma cells - chronic endometritis