Term
| Which of the following is NOT a tool used in routine breeding management of the mare? |
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Definition
Progesterone assays
Progesterone assays may be used on a very limited level, usually when there is a question of the mare still being in the vernal transition or if the CL function is suspect. Progesterone assays are not used in routine breeding management, whereas the other three tools are used on many mares most days they are evaluated. |
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Term
| Which of the following is NOT a useful indicator of when a mare might ovulate naturally? |
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Definition
Serum progesterone concentrations
Usually follicles are between 40 and 50 mm, and almost always bigger than 35 (almost always). The shape of the follicle changes as it is in the process of ovulating. The follicle becomes softer as it gets closer to ovulation. Uterine edema generally decreases the day prior to ovulation. Serum progesterone does not rise until AFTER ovulation in the mare. |
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Term
| Which of the following drugs is useful in inducing ovulation in the mare? |
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Definition
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Term
| Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a(n) _______________________ analog. |
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Definition
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Term
| Which drug can be used to short-cycle a mare? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which treatment is the most predictable and practical in getting mares to cycle early in the breeding season? |
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Definition
Lighting regimens
These other drugs aim at shortening the transition, but either are cumbersome or not very predictable in their efficacy. |
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Term
| With regard to your answer for #2, how does this most predictable/practical method work to get mares cycling early in the season? |
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Definition
| Shifts the vernal transition period |
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Term
| Name the hormone that has the most dramatic effect on reproductive behavior in the mare. |
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Definition
progesterone
Estrogen does enhance/encourage the display of receptive behaviors in the mare, but is often unnecessary. Progesterone has a profound inhibitory effect on reproductive receptivity in the mare and simply the absence of progesterone is enough in some mares to encourage receptivity. |
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Term
| It is Friday. You evaluated a Thoroughbred mare on Wednesday. She had a 27 mm follicle on her left ovary, the biggest follicles on her right ovary were 15 mm. You scored the uterine edema as 2 and the cervix as 2. Today the follicle on the left ovary is 35 mm and a 1 for softness. The uterine edema is a 3 and the cervix is also a 3. This mare will likely ovulate in the next 24 hours. |
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Definition
Disagree
Most light-breed mares ovulate soft follicles between 40 and 50 mm, with uterine edema that has decreased in the previous 24 hours. |
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Term
| It is Friday. You examined a Quarter Horse mare on Wednesday and found that she had a 23 mm follicle on the left ovary and a 34 mm follicle on the right ovary. Her uterine edema was a 3 and the cervix was a 3. Today she has a 24 mm follicle on the left ovary and a 45 mm follicle on the right ovary that is a 3 for softness. Uterine edema today is a 1 and the cervix is a 3. This mare will likely ovulate in the next 24 hours. |
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Definition
Agree
Most light-breed mares ovulate soft follicles between 40 and 50 mm, with uterine edema that has decreased in the previous 24 hours. |
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Term
| Still Friday. On Wednesday a maiden Arabian mare had a 20 mm follicle on the left ovary and a 32 mm follicle on the right ovary. Her uterine edema was a 3 and her cervix was a 2. Today, her left ovary has a 25 mm follicle and her right ovary has a 40 mm follicle that is a 2 for softness. Her uterine edema is a 3 and her cervix is a 2. This mare will likely ovulate in the next 24 hours. |
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Definition
Disagree
Most light-breed mares ovulate soft follicles between 40 and 50 mm, with uterine edema that has decreased in the previous 24 hours. |
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Term
| Consider the ultrasound video playing. What stage of the estrous cycle is this mare? |
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Definition
Estrus
Large follicle (which could be present during diestrus) and lots of uterine edema (that's the clue) make this estrus. |
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Term
| What is the earliest, most effective, least expensive way to diagnose twins in the mare? |
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Definition
Transrectal ultrasound
There are no hormone assays to detect twins. Palpation can indeed detect twins, but only after about 25 days of gestation and the sensitivity is much lower than using ultrasound, both because feeling the bulge in the uterus at that stage can be difficult, especially for a novice, and detecting that there are 2 bulges instead of one if the embryos are right next to each other (which they are about 70% of the time) can be very difficult, even for the experienced practitioner. Ultrasound, on the other hand, can very reliably detect twins by 13-15 days gestation. With regard to palpation being less expensive than ultrasound, given the lower efficacy of palpation I just explained, I would ask the rhetorical question of how much less expensive is palpation if you are wrong and are stuck later with twins? The cost to reduce one twin, the lack of success you can expect, and the resultant economic loss on the entire season dwarf the $25 you might have saved the client by only palpating instead of also scanning the mare with ultrasound. |
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Term
| What is the earliest stage of pregnancy (days after ovulation) in the mare that pregnancy can be detected via palpation per rectum? |
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Definition
18-21 days
It is true that a pregnant uterus will have very good tone and a closed cervix at 14-16 days of gestation, but so will a non-pregnant uterus because it is still in diestrus at that stage. And if the mare is pregnant, you will not be able to feel the embryonic vesicle at 14-16 days. By 18-21 days, a non-pregnant mare should be returning to (or already in) estrus. The consequent uterus of a non-pregnant, estrous mare will be more flaccid and the cervix will be open. This is in contrast to the pregnant mare at 18-21 days that, even though you still cannot palpate the actual pregnancy, will still have excellent uterine tone and a toned, closed cervix. Therefore, 18-21 days is the correct answer. I have also, however, given credit for 25-30 days, because this is the stage that you can first actually palpate the bulge in the uterus created by the fluid surrounding the embryo. |
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Term
| What is the purpose of the equine embryo moving inside the mare's uterus during the first couple weeks of gestation? |
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Definition
Signal its presence to the mare
As discussed both today and last week, the embryo signals its presence to the mare by making contact with multiple sites along the endometrial surface between when it drops into the uterus at 5.5 days of gestation and 16 days of gestation, when it fixes in place. |
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Term
| What day do the endometrial cups form after ovulation? |
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Definition
37-38
As stated in the lecture, and in the reading, endometrial cups form from trophoblastic cells from the embryo that invade the endometrium and form the endometrial cups. This happens around days 37 to 38 of gestation. The reading did mention that at day 25 "a specialized annular band of the trophoblast undergoes cellular changes to form the chorionic girdle." It then goes on to explain that these cells go on to form the endometrial cups at day 38. So, even though the endometrial cups (not the chorionic girdle) form at 38 days, and even though this was only an extra credit question, I do understand why some of you might have been confused and so I have given credit for this answer, as well. |
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Term
| Which of the following is NOT a routine component of a mare breeding soundness evaluation? |
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Definition
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Term
What stage of gestation (days after ovulation) is most likely represented by the image shown?
https://bb.its.iastate.edu/courses/1/F2011-VDPAM-450_-ALL/assessment/b85671ff81464d6888082e2bf7d8cfb6/Nov%2015%20image.png |
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Definition
20-22
Between 19 and 22 days the embryonic vesicle becomes very irregular in shape, but the embryo itself is difficult to see (from about 21 days it can be seen, very small, on the ventral aspect of the vesicle. |
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Term
| When should you recommend always first checking for pregnancy in a mare (days after ovulation)? |
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Definition
13-15
Evaluating at 10-12 days risks missing the pregnancy or the presence of a twin. Also, if twins are present, it is too early to crush then at 10-12 days. Anytime after 16 days you risk that if there are twins they will have fixed right next to each other and make reduction by crushing very difficult. |
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Term
| An endometrial biopsy you submitted has been evaluated and the pathologist reports moderate periglandular fibrosis and scattered foci of inflammation. The pathologist describes the mare as being a Category IIB. What percent chance do you currently give this mare of conceiving and carrying a foal to term? Give the range that was presented in the reading. |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following is NOT a common pathogen affecting fertility in the mare's reproductive tract? |
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Definition
Pasteurella multocida
While many bacteria may potentially cause an infection, the four bacteria listed (excluding Pasteurella) make up 80% of confirmed cases of endometritis in mares. |
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Term
| Which of the following treatments for endometritis in the mare has been shown scientifically to have a positive effect on subsequent pregnancy rates? |
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Definition
Intrauterine antibiotic infusion
All of the options given were mentioned as treatments used in mares with endometritis, but none of them, except for antibiotic infusion, have been tested, or they have been tested and have yielded conflicting results. |
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Term
| It is late May and a client presents with a mare for a pregnancy evaluation. You have never seen this mare before and the breeding date is uncertain (pasture breeding). In your evaluation, you determine that the mare is likely 65 days pregnant, and you find two viable twins, separated, one at the base of each horn. What is your best option to recommend to the owner? |
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Definition
Do a colpotomy and use craniocervical dislocation to reduce one of the twins.
All of the options mentioned, for the most part, could be responsible decisions at different stages of gestation. Prostaglandin will only work effectively to permanently lyse the CL before the formation of the endometrial cups (38 days gestation). A twin may only be crushed effectively up until about 30 days gestation, and only then if each twin is in a separate horn. Transvaginally guided aspiration of a twin works effectively up until about 55 days of gestation. After that, the fetus is usually too large to manipulate for this procedure. You could wait and do the intracardiac infusion, but that procedure has a 50% success and the craniocervical dislocation has a 65% success. Using benign neglect at this stage does not gain you any real advantage. It is very unlikely that a twin will die spontaneously within a few weeks at this late stage. Better to be proactive and do something while you still can and give the remaining twin the best chance possible. |
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Term
You are evaluating a mare who is 63 days into her gestation to determine if it is a colt or a filly. Observe the video clip and make a diagnosis. If you are not certain, you should choose, "I cannot determine the sex of this fetus." That is MUCH better than getting it wrong in the client's eyes. Choosing "I cannot determine..." is worth 1 extra credit point. Choosing the correct fetal sex is worth 2 extra credit points. Choosing the wrong fetal sex is worth nothing.
https://bb.its.iastate.edu/@@/F272C00ED1AEB4DE64D70505133437BA/courses/1/F2011-VDPAM-450_-ALL/assessment/ebb2cb79aa374d3f9509ef5fd87e0647/Jazzy%2063%20d%20fetus.mp4 |
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Definition
| This is a colt fetus. It is lying on its side and the views are cross-sectional. The dorsum is to the right and the ventrum to the left. The video goes back and forth between the mid-abdomen and the perineal area. The thorax and head are never shown in this video loop (which is why you don't see the beating heart). The video shows clear views of the positive male sign (the hyperechoic genital tubercle just caudal to the umbilicus) and also shows a very clear negative female view (with the hyperechoic triangle of spots making up the tail-head and two hind hocks). If you couldn't tell for sure, good job for selecting "I don't know." If you couldn't tell for sure, but went ahead and gambled and got it right....not a good practice because you will get it wrong next time, or some time, and you only have to do that once or twice for clients to lose confidence in you and they will tell the story, you can bet on it, to their friends that ol' Doc Cyclone over there told me this was gonna be a colt and it come out missing the colt plummin'... |
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Term
| You have an 11 year-old Paso Fino mare who was barren last year, despite multiple breedings. She was confirmed pregnant twice, but lost the pregnancies early in gestation. This year, you have performed an endometrial culture and the results were a moderate, pure growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae, sensitive to gentamicin. You started treatment with intrauterine gentamicin 6 days ago and treated for 3 days. On the 4th day, the mare was bred and given deslorelin. The day after breeding, the mare received another treatment of gentamicin. On day 6 (today), ovulation was noted. How many more days of treatment would you give of the antibiotics? A timeline is provided on the board. Cx = culture; Tx = treatment; AI = artificial insemination |
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Definition
Day 8 should be the last one.
Different decisions could certainly be made and defended for this situation. If you use what was taught to you either in lecture or from the reading, you will remember that I said I generally treat mares at least for 4 days, and up to 6 or 7 days, depending on the severity of the infection. The chapter from the reading advises to treat for 3 days for mild infections (based on endometrial biopsy), 5 days for moderate infections, and 7 days for severe infections. I would argue that this mare has a significant (severe?) infection based chiefly on her history and the pure growth of bacteria. One might argue that it is only moderate, based solely on the description of the bacterial growth as "moderate." I think this is a narrow interpretation and that whole clinical picture should be considered. You would also need to remember that the upper limit of time after ovulation that you can treat with intrauterine antibiotics is usually 2 days, but both I and the reading allowed for up to 3 days. 5 days treatment would have been day 6 in this example, 7 days would have been day 8, and 3 days after ovulation would have been day 9. I allowed for any answer between 6 and 9 days. In practice, I would have chosen day 8 because I think this infection is serious, as described to you, with the history of repeated pregnancy loss and the pure growth of a known reproductive pathogen. And I do not like to push it to 3 days unless I haven't gotten the number of treatments in I think we need. |
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Term
| Considering the same mare on the same cycle as in question #1, and using ovulation as the new Day 0, you check this mare for pregnancy at 14 days and find a 20 mm embryonic vesicle, but you do not see a visible CL and there is a mild amount of uterine edema (1 out of 3). You start the mare on altrenogest and oral antibiotics for a few days. On day 18, you submit a serum sample for progesterone and it comes back as 0.49 ng/mL (normal range for a pregnant mare is > 4.0 ng/mL). How long would you supplement with altrenogest before checking her serum progesterone concentrations again? |
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Definition
Test again at gestational day 48.
Altrenogest is given as a daily, oral supplement and gloves must be worn to administer the product to avoid absorption through your skin. It also becomes expensive after 11 months. For these reasons, if we do not need to administer altrenogest, we would rather not do it. So, if we can test the mare to determine the necessity, that is good. And we can. Altrenogest does not (as I said in class) cross-react with progesterone and so assays may be run while the mare is on treatment (this is not true for progesterone in oil, which will cross-react). So then the question is when to next test, if the first test was performed at day 18. By day 18 a non-pregnant mare (or a mare who did not have successful maternal recognition of pregnancy) would have lysed the primary CL and progesterone would be baseline. A pregnant mare who had successful maternal recognition of pregnancy would have elevated progesterone concentrations. This mare was pregnant, but had baseline concentrations. This indicates that the primary CL is not functioning. We will need to maintain the pregnancy with altrenogest for now. But at 37-38 days the endometrial cups will form and begin to secrete eCG, which will cause follicular growth and luteinization. It will take some days for this to happen, but when it does, progesterone will be supplied by the secondary (accessory) CL's until the fetomaternal unit takes over around 100 days gestation to produce 5-alpha pregnanes. So, testing this mare again at day 28 would be useless because nothing would have changed from the test at day 18. Testing this mare at 37 days is a nice thought because that's when the endometrial cups form, but do you think the progesterone immediately shoots up? No. First eCG must stimulate follicular growth and luteinization. That takes some days to happen. How about 11 days? Day 48? Yes. Progesterone should be elevated before then, certainly by then. Waiting to day 90 is just wasting time. |
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Term
| Are most equine twins thought to be monozygotic or dizygotic? Choose one and type that word ONLY (monozygotic or dizygotic). |
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Definition
dizygotic
While there is documentation of some monozygotic twinning in mares, dizygotic twins are much more common and part of the reason why we do not recommend checking for twins routinely earlier than 13 days gestation; in the case of asynchronous ovulations, one of the twins may be too small to easily detect. |
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Term
| What has been shown to be the primary causative agent of Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS)? |
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Definition
| Eastern Tent Caterpillars |
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Term
A picture is provided of equine fetal membranes. The chorionic side of the allatochorion is facing you. At the bottom of the picture, the amnion is visible as a tied-up bundle of pale tissue protruding from the allatochorionic membrane. Comment on the pathology you do or do not see from this view.
https://bb.its.iastate.edu/courses/1/F2011-VDPAM-450_-ALL/assessment/70b2f00b382949ed8a12bf9e18eada88/IMG_1909.JPG |
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Definition
Ascending placentitis is evident.
The area at the base of the "F" is pale or avillous. This indicates separation from the endometrium, indicating placentitis. Because this is the area that is next to the cervix, the most likely etiology is an ascending placentitis. The cervical star would appear as a radiating pattern, not this diffuse pattern with relatively smooth borders. |
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Term
| In a foaling mare, how long after stage II labor is complete should the fetal membranes be shed? |
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Definition
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Term
| An 8 year-old, pregnant Appaloosa brood mare presents in your hospital for acute colic signs. She is 8 months into her gestation. What differential diagnosis directly related to her pregnancy should be at the top of your list, and can be diagnosed or ruled out within minutes? |
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Definition
uterine torsion
The most likely reproductive differential is uterine torsion. Simply stating "torsion" is not a complete diagnosis. Torsion of what? |
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Term
| Describe the posture of a foal in breech presentation. |
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Definition
Bilateral hip flexion
Posture refers to the extremities of the foal (head, neck, and limbs) in relation to itself. Using professional descriptive language is important because it allows us all to be on the same page when we are describing medical situations. Using terms like "butt" and "rear" are not professional terms and you need to learn to communicate like a doctor. I was somewhat forgiving on this quiz question, but I will keep you to a higher standard for future quizzes and the final exam. The complete description, for example, of the breech position, including presentation, position, and posture (in that order) is: caudal (or posterior) longitudinal, dorsosacral, with bilateral hip flexion. For this quiz question you needed to describe hip flexion. |
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Term
What is the differential diagnosis that may be confused initially with the maldisposition pictured?
https://bb.its.iastate.edu/courses/1/F2011-VDPAM-450_-ALL/assessment/187f7c16bb3e43568a8e5ce07bb40b43/Transverse%20presentation%20Frazer%201999.png |
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Definition
Twins
If you were presented with this case, you would do a vaginal examination/palpation and you would feel 3 or 4 legs, and likely not readily be able to feel the body (maybe with a very long reach...). Your two possible differential diagnoses would be a transverse presentation (pictured) and twins. If both twins were facing the same orientation (cranial or caudal) then you could differentiate by noting that there were more than 2 forelimbs or more than 2 hindlimbs. But if one twin was caudally presented and the other cranially presented, that might be difficult since it would be hard to reach the body and determine for sure that you had one contiguous body or two separate bodies. |
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Term
Assuming that all of the following options are available to you, which would be the best choice for a viable fetus in the disposition pictured?
https://bb.its.iastate.edu/courses/1/F2011-VDPAM-450_-ALL/assessment/4e49ddae86e1432b9cc0589c662dbf64/Breech%20Frazer%201999.jpg |
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Definition
Refer immediately for possible c-section
If the fetus is still alive and referral for possible c-section is an option, you would IMMEDIATELY send this in for a c-section. You would tell the referral hospital veterinarian that you have a true breech that is viable. Minutes will matter and the prognosis, because of the problem of time, will be guarded. But it is worth a try, and is the only option for a viable foal. |
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Term
Using appropriate medical terminology, describe the disposition of the fetus pictured. Perfect descriptions (those describing the disposition so that a colleague could picture it exactly, and using the fewest, most appropriate medical descriptors) will receive an additional bonus point.
https://bb.its.iastate.edu/courses/1/F2011-VDPAM-450_-ALL/assessment/dfff154c0f7e467d8d0d68a45816f74a/12-1%20quiz%20image.jpg |
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Definition
| cranial longitudinal, dorsosacral, left carpal flexion |
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Term
| What is the most likely potential complication that may occur during parturition in a mare with hydrallantois or hydramnios? |
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Definition
hypovolemic shock
shock
The complication to be most concerned about in hydrops cases is hypovolemic shock due to the sudden and massive loss of fluids during parturition. Prepubic tendon rupture is the concern during the pregnancy. If it happens, it is likely to occur prior to parturition, when the belly is so distended, not during parturition. I did accept "dystocia" since this technically is not a normal birth. |
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Term
| Homework: Indy: Which of the following treatments would be justifiable to use in Indy on March 24th? Choose ALL possible treatments that would be potentially helpful at this stage. |
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Definition
cloprostenol
oxytocin
uterine lavage
This mare is in the 8th day of her foal heat. It would be too soon to give her hCG or deslorelin because both would cause her to ovulate prior to her 10th day. She does have a small amount of fluid and so it would be helpful to assist her in clearing it by performing uterine lavage and giving ecbolics, like oxytocin or cloprostenol. Dinoprost is also a prostaglandin, like cloprostenol, but has a much shorter half-life and so cloprostenol is favored over dinoprost for ecbolic purposes. |
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Term
| Homework: Indy: The Thoroughbred stallion, "Target Practice," to be bred to Indy has open appointments for one mare each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Looking at Indy's cycle, which day would have likely been the optimal day for her to have been bred (in a perfect world)? |
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Definition
Friday, March 26
This is Indy's foal heat. March 26 is 10 days after she foaled. Breeding her earlier would have been risking that she might have ovulated before day 10, and would have had decreased chances of getting pregnant. With a 50 mm follicle on March 26, it is unlikely she would have held out on her own until March 29. |
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Term
| Homework: Indy: What is your diagnosis on April 12? |
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Definition
| Pregnant with a singleton. |
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Term
| Homework: Indy: On April 12, which of the following treatments would be justifiable? Check ALL possibilities that may be indicated based on your evaluation of the mare. |
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Definition
no treatment is warranted at this time
This mare is pregnant, has a well-formed CL, no uterine edema, no intrauterine fluid, and a tight cervix. Everything is as perfect as you could hope for and there is no reason to look for an excuse to treat her. Giving many of the treatments listed would potentially terminate the pregnancy. |
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Term
| Homework: Indy: According to your June 2 evaluation, what is the fetal sex? Admitting that you can't tell will earn you full credit for this question (1 point). Diagnosing the correct fetal sex will give you an extra bonus point (2 points total for this question). Guessing the wrong fetal sex will COST YOU 2 POINTS off your total score. Please exactly type one of the following to ease in grading: |
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Definition
filly
I could not tell for sure what this was. I seemed to get a negative male view relatively clearly, but could never get a nice positive female view. For that reason, I would have in my head guessed it was a filly, but would not have committed an answer to the owner. In the end, it was a filly. But I've been wrong before when I wasn't completely sure. |
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Term
| Homework: Lark: Given the information that no complications were encountered during Lark's foaling this year, is this mare otherwise a good candidate for breeding on foal heat? |
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Definition
yes
Yes, this mare has no intrauterine fluid, it appears she will ovulate at least 10 days after her foaling, she is only 5 years old, and she has only had one foal in the past. |
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Term
| Lark: You have given the manager of stallion, Prime Investment, a call and found out that the stallion is producing very good ejaculates and getting a shipment sent to you overnight should be no problem on whichever day you order it. Same-day shipments are also available, if necessary, but these are more expensive, more of a hassle, and less reliable, so you should only choose this option if overnight is not a good choice from the perspective of when the mare will likely ovulate. Semen is collected from this stallion on a M/W/F basis. Please look at your evaluations for Lark and decide on the best day to plan the first insemination. |
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Definition
Saturday, April 24
On April 21, the mare only has a 25 mm follicle, which will be too small to induce to ovulate, even by the next day when the overnight shipment would arrive. Checking again on April 23, you find a 34 mm follicle. By the next day, Saturday, it would be bigger than 35 mm and would be responsive to hCG or deslorelin. Ordering semen on April 23 for arrival on the 24th, and giving hCG or deslorelin on the 24th when the semen arrives, would be a very good plan. There is no good reason to let the semen sit in the container after it arrives on Saturday to do a Sunday insemination (unless you have 2 doses and decide to do the second insemination on Sunday, but your first insemination should still be on Saturday). You might be able to wait until Monday or Tuesday to inseminate, but you might also be surprised if you wait and find out that she ovulated on her own over the weekend. Since you can manipulate the cycle reliably by Saturday, there is no good reason to wait till Monday or Tuesday, so long as semen is available for shipment on Friday. |
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Term
| Homework: Lark: After your examination on April 26, which of the following drugs would you recommend for Lark? Choose all choices that are reasonably defendable. |
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Definition
oxytocin
This mare has ovulated already. The absence of the follicle that had been 34 mm the previous Friday tells you that. Deslorelin and hCG would not be indicated today. The mare does have a small amount of fluid present in the body of the uterus. Because she has ovulated already, using a prostaglandin (dinoprost or cloprostenol) would be contraindicated. Oxytocin should do the trick. You may decide to couple that treatment with lavage and/or an intrauterine infusion of antibiotics. |
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Term
| Homework: Lark: On May 10, what is the most appropriate diagnosis? |
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Definition
| Pregnant with one embryonic vesicle. |
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Term
| Homework: Lark: On May 10, you may have noticed that a distinct CL is not visible on the right ovary (or the left one, for that matter). The cervix is closed, however, and there is no uterine edema. If you are concerned about the lack of a visible CL, and you place the mare on altrenogest, when is the earliest you would you check her serum to see if she is producing progesterone? |
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Definition
May 14
May 10 is at least day 14 and may be day 15 or 16, depending on when the mare actually ovulated back between your evaluations on April 23 and 26. You would want to check her serum P4 after maternal recognition of pregnancy would have taken place and the endometrial surge of prostaglandin had been averted, which happens between 15 and 16 days. May 12 might be as early as day 16, but May 14 is day 18-21, depending on when she ovulated, and her P4 would be low at that point if she had lysed her CL earlier. |
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Term
| Homework: Lark: On May 26, what is the most correct diagnosis? |
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Definition
Pregnant with a singleton with a visible heartbeat.
The scan starts on the embryo where a heartbeat may be seen (between seconds 2 and 4). The scan passes quickly over the same embryo on its way from the left horn till the right horn. The narration identifies the location of that embryo as being at the base of the left horn both times it is visible. No other embryo is seen. A CL is still not seen on the right ovary. |
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Term
| Homework: Lark: On June 7, what is your diagnosis? |
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Definition
The mare is not pregnant.
This mare has no visible fetus whatsoever. The tract is followed carefully from ovary to ovary and no fetus is visible where one clearly was two weeks previous at the base of the left horn with a healthy heartbeat. As it turns out, the barn manager reports that the barn staff made a mistake and failed to give this mare her altrenogest for a few days since the last evaluation. |
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Term
| Homework: Sequin: This 9 year-old, barren Thoroughbred mare arrives at your practice for the first time on Friday, May 7, from a well-managed broodmare farm. Based on your initial evaluation, what is the best recommendation on May 7th? |
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Definition
Give hCG and breed this mare today. Recheck on Monday.
This mare is almost assuredly in late estrus with follicles of that size, an open cervix, and very little (grade 0?) edema. Waiting, even till tomorrow, to breed her will probably be too late. The hCG is likely unnecessary, but is just given as insurance. That hypoechoic structure in the body of the uterus was an endometrial cyst. It is about the size of an embryonic vesicle, but is somewhat irregular in shape. |
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Term
| Homework: Sequin: What treatment would you give Sequin on May 10th? Check all treatments that can be justifiably defended. |
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Definition
No treatments are necessary at this time
This mare has done exactly what she needed to do. She has ovulated in good time (hopefully you had her bred on Friday!). She has two very nice corpora lutea. There is no uterine edema and no fluid. The next thing to do is let her be and check her for pregnancy in 2 weeks. |
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Term
| Homework: Sequin: Considering the two possibilities that (1) the mare may have either ovulated according to the administration of hCG or (2) spontaneously on her own, how many days gestation would she be on May 21? Give the most accurate, possible range, based on the parameters just given in this question. |
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Definition
12-14
You evaluated this mare on Friday, May 7th and found two large follicles and minimal (if any) uterine edema. With follicles that size, the chances are much higher that uterine edema has dropped in preparation for ovulation in the very near future (within 24 hours). Based on this, since it was a fresh semen breeding, it would have been the wisest course to breed on Friday and not wait till Saturday. If hCG was to be given, it would have been given on Friday. So, if the mare ovulated on her own, it could have been as early as Friday later in the day. If the mare actually held onto one or both of those follicles until the hCG took effect, she would have ovulated by Sunday, the 9th. So, you have a range of possible ovulation dates from May 7th to the 9th. That makes possible gestation lengths on the 21st to be 12-14 days |
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Term
| Homework: Sequin: On May 21, what is your diagnosis? |
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Definition
The mare is pregnant and twins cannot be ruled out. An endometrial cyst is present.
Very good. If you go back to the exam on May 7th, you will see that there is the same endometrial cyst present in the body of the uterus, but there is no such structure at the bifurcation (or at least you would notice that there is only one anechoic structure, not two). This lets you know that the mare does have an endometrial cyst and you should have recorded that on page 1 of your records when you saw it on May 7th. The second structure must then be a pregnancy. Judging by size, I would say it is around 12 days old. If you look closely at the endometrial cyst, there may also be a second embryonic vesicle directly cranial and adjacent to it. Even if you didn't see that, you should note that 11-12 days after the ovulation is a bit early to check for twins and a recheck evaluation is in order a couple days later. This is always good practice, but is especially important in light of the fact that we have documented two ovulations within 48 hours of insemination. This is why we recheck this mare on the 24th. |
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| Homework: Sequin: On Monday, May 24, what is your diagnosis and plan? Choose a diagnosis and choose the most appropriate plan. |
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Definition
The mare is pregnant with twins and has endometrial cysts.
Perform a twin crush today. Recheck on Wednesday if there is concern, or in two weeks, if there is not.
This mare has twins. Endometrial cysts are present, but it is too late to treat for those at this point and probably unnecessary, anyway. The most evident clip where the twins are visible side by side is between 34 and 40 seconds on the clip. A crush procedure is then performed, as described on the voice-over with pressure on the uterus as one twin is pushed up the right horn. Then, at around 1 minute and 25 seconds in the clip you can see the remaining embryonic vesicle with some fluid from the crushed twin next to it. The remaining twin is probably just fine, and needs no extra treatment. Some would be cautious and place the mare on altrenogest, or will have given flunixin prior to the procedure, but these precautions are probably not necessary. You may recheck in 2 days to just be sure the remaining twin is healthy, if you have any doubts. |
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Term
| Homework: Sequin: What is the status of the mare on May 26th? |
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Definition
The mare is pregnant with a normal-appearing singleton and endometrial cysts.
This mare is pregnant with one embryonic vesicle visible at the base of the left horn. It is starting to become irregular in shape, which is consistent with about 18 days gestation. This places ovulation around the 7th or 8th of May. Good thing you decided to breed her on Friday and not wait! Also, your twin crush happened just in time. Another day, or later in the day, and they would have been fixed in place! |
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Term
| Homework: Lily: This mare is part of a very large broodmare herd and the manager of this farm prefers to use hCG whenever possible, for cost reasons, but is willing to use deslorelin in cases where using hCG would be less-than-ideal. Lily presented for the first time this season to you on the 15th and again on the 19th (and you have the records for those visits). What would you do as a treatment plan on the 22nd for Lily? Choose from the following options. |
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Definition
Give no medications today and recheck on Wednesday.
With a 32 mm follicle and minimal uterine edema, you are probably very safe to wait till Wednesday to order semen. At that point the follicle will be big enough to respond to hCG and you can plan on breeding her on Thursday. As an alternative plan, you could have ordered semen today for delivery on Tuesday, and waited to give the hCG till tomorrow. The follicle most likely would have been big enough by tomorrow to respond to hCG. I didn't give that option because I think waiting till Wednesday is very safe, and may be safer because hCG will more certainly work by Wednesday. |
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Term
| Homework: Lily: Whatever your earlier choice was with Lily, she had not ovulated on Wednesday, the 24th, so you decided to order semen (either for the first time, or again, depending on your choice for Monday) for delivery on Thursday, the 25th. You administer hCG on Thursday, after the semen arrives and the mare is inseminated with the first of two doses in the package. The other is placed in the refrigerator. Today, Friday the 26th, you evaluate the mare. What is your plan now? |
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Definition
Use the second dose of semen today. No further drugs necessary. Recheck the mare on Monday.
The truth is that you probably don't even need to put the second dose of semen in this mare, so long as the first dose was at least adequate (> 500 million progressively motile sperm) because that dose should provide viable sperm for at least 48 hours after insemination and this mare should ovulate by tomorrow morning, according to when you gave the hCG (yesterday). There was no fluid in the uterus, even though she was inseminated yesterday, so she has cleared the fluid as she should have. No need to check her again till Monday to document ovulation and that she still has no chronic reaction to the second breeding. |
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Term
| Homework: Lily: What is your diagnosis on March 15? |
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Definition
| The mare is pregnant with a singleton. |
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Term
| Homework: Lily: According to your May 5 evaluation, what is the fetal sex? Admitting that you can't tell will earn you full credit for this question (1 point). Diagnosing the correct fetal sex will give you an extra bonus point (2 points total for this question). Guessing the wrong fetal sex will COST YOU 2 POINTS off your total score. Please exactly type one of the following to ease in grading: |
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Definition
filly
From the start of the video until 6 seconds in we pass over the female view and you can see the genital tubercle visible just below the hyperechoic tail-head. Between 18 and 20 seconds we pass over the male view and fail to see the hyperechoic genital tubercle there, confirming our diagnosis. Again, from about 21-26 seconds you see the positive female view again. It is not the clearest of all exams, certainly not as clear as the one used for your quiz question in class, so choosing that you didn't know would have been very understandable and wise if you weren't sure. |
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Term
| Homework: Lily: Is the fetus still viable on May 5th? |
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Definition
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Term
| Homework: Yukon: This mare had no reported difficulties foaling. Based on what you know of her history and your evaluation on the 17th, would you recommend attempting to breed this mare on foal heat, so long as ovulation occurs at an acceptable time? |
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Definition
No
This mare is older than 10 years old, has had more than 2 previous foals, and, most importantly, has a small to moderate amount of fluid retained in her uterus during your examination on the 17th, which is 8 days postpartum. Her fertility rates, even if she holds onto that 45 mm follicle for 2 more days, will likely be reduced. It is a better choice to wait, allow her to ovulate, and either short-cycle her or allow her to come into heat naturally in 3 weeks. |
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Term
| Homework: Yukon: On March 26, a uterine culture was submitted and results are back that you can access in the folder for this date. How do you interpret the microbiology results and your clinical evaluations of the past few days, and what would be your plan? |
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Definition
These culture results represent a significant pathogen, and clinical signs of infection are present, so treatment is warranted. We should treat with intrauterine antibiotics for 4-6 days.
It is true that the growth was low, but Streptococcus zooepidemicus is one of the top 4 bacterial pathogens responsible for reproductive losses in mares. Its presence always is cause for concern, especially in a pure culture, however low or moderate the growth. In addition, this mare is showing some significant signs of potential infection. Even though she has ovulated between 7 and 9 days prior to this evaluation on the 29th, she has never lost her uterine edema entirely, and her CL, which was evident on the 22nd and 24th, was no longer visible on the 26th. This could not have been due to exogenous prostaglandin administration by the veterinarian (you), because you should not have administered prostaglandin prior to today's evaluation, since the CL was first noted on the 22nd. Certainly you would not have opted to give prostaglandin on the 24th, only 2 days after detection of the CL, and yet the CL was no longer visible on the 26th. Why had it lysed? Endogenous prostaglandin from inflammation is the most likely reason. That is why you should have submitted a swab for culture on the 26th, which you did. And that is why you should treat this as serious. Systemic antibiotics are used at times when it is suspected that the infection goes deeper into the uterine tissues, but is not a routine, mainstay treatment. The most effective known treatment for endometritis is intrauterine antibiotics given during estrus. |
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Term
| Homework: Yukon: On Wednesday, March 31, the biggest follicle present was a 33 mm follicle on the left ovary. Yukon is a Thoroughbred mare and the stallion to which she is to be bred could not have accommodated her on Wednesday, anyway, but looking to the future you scheduled a tentative appointment for breeding on Friday, April 2. Based on your examination on Friday, what treatments would you give this mare today? Check all that are justifiably defendable. |
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Definition
hCG
deslorelin
cloprostenol
oxytocin
uterine lavage
This mare has a moderate amount of fluid in her uterus. Assuming that you would go ahead with plans for breeding, you will need to address this fluid issue. Hopefully you have been treating the mare with intrauterine antibiotics, and this fluid could be a reaction to that treatment. You would be able to treat the mare with uterine lavage up to about two hours before breeding and continue 4 hours after breeding. Oxtocin has a short half-life and could be used up to a couple hours prior to breeding. Cloprostenol has a longer half-life and is better saved for 4 hours (or later) after breeding. Dinoprost has a shorter half-life than cloprostenol and is not thought to have as productive an effect on the uterus to clear fluid. Choosing either hCG or deslorelin would be very important in this case because you do not want that mare to have to be bred more than once. |
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Term
| Homework: Yukon: Assuming that you did decide to treat the bacterial growth in Yukon, what is the last possible date that you would choose to administer treatment with antibiotics? |
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Definition
April 6
Usually 2 to 3 days after ovulation is the absolute longest you should continue with transcervical or ecbolic treatments in mares that have been bred. In this case, Yukon had a 42 mm follicle that was present on April 2 and no longer present on April 5, indicating ovulation occurred between those two dates. If hCG or deslorelin was administered, and the mare responded appropriately, then ovulation likely happened on the 4th. Taking it 3 days out from there would allow you to go to the 7th, but taking it longer, even to the 8th would be risky; if the mare ovulated on the 4th, that embryo could be entering the uterus as early as late on the 9th. |
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Term
| Homework: Yukon: You will have noticed that a progesterone serum concentration is reported for Yukon and that it is low. Using your hindsight and evaluating all Yukon's parameters, when would have been the best time to start supplementation with altrenogest in this mare? |
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Definition
April 7
On April 2, this mare had a problem with fluid in the uterus, you were going to be breeding that day, and you might still have had plans of intrauterine antibiotic infusions over the weekend. Giving altrenogest would depress the immune system, quiet the uterine contractions, and close the cervix, all of which would be contraindicated. On April 5, ovulation was noted, but no CL was visible. This is not all that unusual, since it may take a day or two for the CL to become visible after ovulation. But by April 7, you should have been able to detect some luteal tissue via ultrasound, and it is still not evident. Knowing what you do about this mare's recent history, you should have had a concern about inflammation and endogenous prostaglandin release, which may be at a relatively constant level and therefore preventing the formation of luteal tissue. This would be a good time for altrenogest supplementation. You may get lucky by waiting, but why chance it? Treating with anti-inflammatory drugs and systemic antibiotics at this point might be helpful. |
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Term
| Homework: Yukon: After examining this mare on April 23, what is your recommended treatment plan? |
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Definition
Continue the mare on altrenogest treatment for now; no other treatment.
If you paid close attention, especially to the evaluation on March 26 (as the narration instructed), you should have noticed two areas of endometrial cysts. One at the bifurcation was multilobulated and one in the body of the uterus was bigger and more open. That is exactly what you see in the scan on this day, with the addition of the large, anechoic structure at the base of the left horn, which is the embryonic vesicle. The other two areas are unchanged, as is typical of endometrial cysts. This mare does not have twins. She is pregnant with a singleton that appears normal. She still has luteal insufficiency, however, and needs to be kept on altrenogest until the endometrial cups or fetoplacental unit can take over. |
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Term
| Homework: Yukon: According to your June 7 evaluation, what is the fetal sex? Admitting that you can't tell will earn you ONE extra credit for this question (1 point). Diagnosing the correct fetal sex will give you an extra bonus point (2 extra credit points total for this question). Guessing the wrong fetal sex will earn NO extra credit. Please exactly type one of the following to ease in grading: |
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Definition
colt
The video gives a number of good glimpses of the positive male view. The negative female view never really comes nicely into view. Ideally, I like to see both a positive view of one sex and the negative view of another. In this case, the male view is clear enough that I would feel comfortable enough calling it a colt. And that is, indeed, what was born later. Guessing "I don't know" is still a responsible choice. |
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Term
Please succinctly describe, using veterinary anatomical terminology, the disposition of the fetus pictured. Perfect descriptions will get an additional bonus point.
https://bb.its.iastate.edu/courses/1/F2011-VDPAM-450_-ALL/assessment/bb41fa7e876e4c8682b98cd244b0662f/Dec%205%20quiz.jpg |
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Definition
anterior longitudinal, dorsosacral, left shoulder flexion
To get full credit (1 point) you needed to note that it was a cranial or anterior presentation, dorsosacral position, and that there was a shoulder flexion. To get the extra credit point (2 points) you needed to also include that the presentation was longitudinal (to be complete) and that it was the LEFT shoulder that was flexed. It was not sufficient to say the limb was flexed. It was not sufficient to simply say it was longitudinal (since it could be posterior longitudinal). On the final, I will require you to describe the disposition at the level that I am currently awarding the extra points. It's not that difficult. Review the notes and past quizzes. |
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Term
| After examining a fetus in question 1, you now must make a decision as to what to do for a treatment or recommendation. The fetus is alive. Your initial efforts to correct it were without any progress (you tried for about 5 minutes). There is a referral hospital 20 minutes away and a trailer is available. The owners are willing to do what you recommend. What is the best decision? |
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Definition
refer the case now
The flexed shoulder malposture can be very difficult to correct in a standing mare, and may still be difficult in some circumstances in an anesthetized mare. If referral is an option and you have not made any initial headway in your mutations, referral is a great decision. You may be fine trying further on the farm either in the standing mare or trying to anesthetize her and elevate her hind limbs, but if you are not, and chances are iffy that you will be successful, then it certainly would have been better to refer. |
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Term
You evaluate a mare having a dystocia and determine that the fetal disposition is as pictured. The fetus is no longer viable. What is your best recommendation?
https://bb.its.iastate.edu/courses/1/F2011-VDPAM-450_-ALL/assessment/e50d549897664062bb1b08f2e17f951f/Dec%205a%20quiz.jpg |
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Definition
attempt mutations with the mare standing
This maldisposition is relatively simple to correct by pushing the fetus back into the abdomen and sliding the leg back into the normal posture. Delaying correction, even for minutes, can result in a rectovaginal fistula. |
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Term
| What is the genotype of a horse with Klinefelter's syndrome? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which viral disease do we test for in a stallion BSE? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following should NOT be a component of most routine stallion BSE? |
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Definition
| Accessory sex gland culture |
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Term
| Name one way that a tortoiseshell tomcat could exist. |
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Definition
Chimera
XXY (Klinefelters)
XX sex reversal
The most straightforward explanation is that the cat has 2 X chromosomes (one with orange and one with black alleles) and a Y chromosome. XXY genotype and chimeras (XX,XY or XY,XY) would give this scenario. You could also have a translocation event that put the color allele of the X chromosome onto the Y chromosome in the sire or that put the SRY gene onto the X chromosome (Sry-positive sex reversal). Or you could simply have an XX sex-reversal (even Sry-negative).
Answers that would not explain this include mosaicism (doesn't account for both 2 copies of the allele and the Sry gene) and pseudohermaphroditism (how do you get from ovaries to male phenotype? You have to explain a source for the androgens...)
If you think you should have gotten credit, please let me know. I may have made a mistake in sorting through all of these possibilities. If so, I will be glad to give you the points. If not, I will be glad to explain why your explanation didn't work. |
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Term
| I have three cats from the same litter: a black male, an orange female, and a calico female. What were the parents colors? Choose two answers: one for the sire, one for the dam. (extra credit) |
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Definition
The sire was orange
The dam was tortoiseshell
A black male means that you must have an X chromosome with a black allele in the dam (since the Y chromosome came from the sire). An orange female means that you must have an X chromosome with an orange allele from both dam and sire. And since the sire only has one X chromosome, that means the sire MUST be orange. And we have just established that the dam must have a black allele, and an orange allele, so that makes her tortoiseshell (or calico). The calico female got the orange allele from her sire (all he had to contribute by way of X chromosomes) and got the black allele from her dam. |
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Term
| Which tumor is the most common on stallion genitalia? |
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Definition
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Term
| Stallions should have at least what percentage of progressively motile sperm in their ejaculates in order to be considered acceptable? |
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Definition
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Term
| With regard to future reproductive potential, what, if anything, (besides cloning) may be done for a stallion that unexpectedly dies or is euthanized? |
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Definition
freeze epididymal sperm
We collect semen from a stallion postmortem by flushing the cauda epididymides. The ductus deferens are ligated and transected and the testes are removed along with the epididymides to prevent retrograde leakage of semen. But the useful, mature spermatazoa are not present in the testes, nor in the caput or corpus epididymus. Those sperm are too immature to be useful except using ICSI protocols (tomorrow's lecture will cover this). A much more routine, affordable, easy answer is to flush the cauda epididymus and freeze those sperm. This protocol works very well so long as the testes are harvested and the sperm flushed less than 24 hours after death. So, it was not enough to say you collect and freeze sperm, because you did not explain how you would do this in a dead animal. And it is incorrect to say we are getting the sperm from the testes. |
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Term
| Recent studies have shown that you can reduce the insemination dose from a stallion to what level and still achieve good pregnancy rates? |
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Definition
1 to 5 million sperm
I had intended to ask about low-dose insemination, and so after the quiz I realized that reading this question, it could be confusing as to which type of insemination was being used. If using traditional artificial insemination, in which the semen is simply deposited in the body of the uterus, then at least 250 million should be used (though we aim for 500 million). The text mentioned that it should be, bare minimum, 100 million. The text stated that a couple of studies have shown that less than 100 million resulted in reduced pregnancy rates. So, if you were thinking of regular insemination, 250 million progressively motile sperm would have been a good answer and I have gone back and given you credit for that answer. For those that were thinking of the absolute lowest you could go, the text mentioned that if you use low-dose insemination techniques you can reduce your dose to between 1 and 5 million progressively motile sperm. |
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Term
| Name the two most common pathological conditions of stallion accessory sex glands. |
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Definition
seminal vesiculitis
blocked ampullae
These two conditions are the only ones reported with any frequency with regard to the accessory sex glands (the ampulla is not a gland, but is usually lumped in with these other glands). I did require that you gave a pathological condition specifically. It was not enough to say "inflammation" or "blockage" because I could not tell what you thought was inflamed or blocked. Prostatitis, for example, or a blocked bulbourethral gland, would have been incorrect. |
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Term
| You collect semen from a stallion for chilled shipment. You will be loading the semen into two 50 mL centrifuge tubes for shipping and sending 2 doses (1 dose in each tube). According to your evaluations: volume = 35 mL, concentration = 400 x 106/mL, total motility = 75%, progressive motility = 50%. In processing the semen, what ratio of semen to extender would be appropriate? |
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Definition
1:7
1:8
1:9
You collect semen from a stallion for chilled shipment. You will be loading the semen into two 50 mL centrifuge tubes for shipping and sending 2 doses (1 dose in each tube). According to your evaluations: volume = 35 mL, concentration = 400 x 106/mL, total motility = 75%, progressive motility = 50%. In processing the semen, what ratio of semen to extender would be appropriate? |
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Term
| Using the information from the previous question, how many mL (minimum) must you include in each dose from this ejaculate to represent an industry-standard insemination dose for chilled shipment? |
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Definition
5 mL
The answer to this question comes from Equation 2. First you need to calculate the concentration of progressively motile sperm (PMS). 50% are progressively motile, so 0.5 x 400 x 106 = 200 x 106 PMS/mL. Then do Equation 2: 1000 x 106 divided by 200 x 106 PMS/mL = 5 mL. I realized after I looked at your answers that this could have been misinterpreted to mean what is the total volume of the dose after adding the extender, so I also gave credit to those of you who answered that way. |
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Term
| You have a client who would like to use a Quarter horse stallion for reproduction, but he has been unable to produce any babies in the last season. A breeding soundness evaluation reveals testes that are smaller and softer than expected. You collect semen and find only about 3% total motility, with maybe 1% progressive motility. Which of the following will offer the best solution for the client in terms of appropriateness, success, and cost? (cost of each procedure is given in parentheses) (extra credit) |
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Definition
ICSI ($6,500)
All of these techniques were discussed in your reading and the acronyms were used extensively. OT = Oocyte transfer and therefore would not be used directly in this patient (since it is a stallion). Gamete IntraFallopian Transfer (GIFT) is also performed on mares. Ditto for Embryo Transfer. In Vitro Fertilization does not work well in horses. Gamete rescue would not yield a better population in a stallion that seems to have testicular degeneration, as this one does. Nuclear Transfer (cloning) would work, but is very expensive. IntraCytoplasmic Sperm Injection would be a very nice, affordable (relatively) solution for this patient. A singular sperm cell is selected that appears motile and is injected directly into an oocyte, which is then transferred to a recipient mare.
This is the level to which I would like you to know this material. Know what the basic technique does and therefore what type of patient would benefit from it. |
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