Breeding Soundness Exams

Question 1

What are the (3) objectives of the breeding soundness evaluation?

Answer 1

(1) Estimate reproductive potential
(2) Identify potentially infertile or subfertile males
(3) Provide management or treatment recommendations for subfertile males

Question 2

What are (4) indications for a breeding soundness evaluation?

Answer 2

(1) Prior to sale
(2) Following purchase
(3) Prior to breeding season
(4) Diagnosis of infertility or subfertility

Question 3

What is relevant history for a breeding soundness exam?

Answer 3

Previous breeding performance
Previous BSE results
Illness or injury (60 day rule)
Medications or vaccines
Present usage
Management

Question 4

How are animals identified?

Answer 4

Photograph
Drawing
Description: brands, tattoos, ear tags
Microchips

Question 5

What are components of the general physical exam?

Answer 5

Body condition
General body systems
Conformation
Heritable defects

Question 6

What are common hereditary foot problems in bulls?

Answer 6

Corkscrew claw defect
Interdigital fibromas (corns)
Weak pasterns
Post-leggedness
Sickle hocks

Question 7

What are common ocular problems in bulls?

Answer 7

Squamous cell carcinoma
Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye - moraxella bovis)

Question 8

What external genitalia should be examined? (6)

Answer 8

Penis
Prepuce
Scrotum
Testes
Epididymides
Spermatic cords

Question 9

How are the testes evaluated visually?

Answer 9

Bulls, rams = scrotal circumference
Stallion, dog = scrotal width
All species = symmetry, texture, morphology

Question 10

What does testes size correlate with?

Answer 10

Size correlates to sperm production potential
Testis volume may be used to predict potential daily sperm production

Question 11

What do normal testes look like on ultrasound?

Answer 11

Uniformly echogenic
Mediastinum/central vein present
No nodules, masses present

Question 12

Testicular Volume

Answer 12

Correlated with daily sperm output potential
DSO evaluated by daily semen collection for 7-10 consecutive days

Question 13

How is testicular volume calculated?

Answer 13

V = 0.5233 x width x height x length

Question 14

Measure of testicular volume can help:

Answer 14

(1) predict potential sperm production
(2) identify problems with sperm production
(3) help determine potential numbers of females that can be mated per day

Question 15

What internal genitalia should be examined?

Answer 15

Pelvic urethra
Accessory sex glands (ampullae, prostate, seminal vesicles, bulbourethral gland)
Internal inguinal rings

Question 16

What is the most common abnormal finding in bulls internal genitalia?

Answer 16

Enlargement, excessive firmness, or loss of lobulation of the vesicular glands (seminal vesicles)

Question 17

What are examples of mating problems?

Answer 17

Erection
Mounting
Intromission
Ejaculation

Question 18

How is semen evaluated?

Answer 18

Single collection
Daily sperm output (5-7 days)
Estimation of DSO (2 ejaculates 1-2hrs apart)

Question 19

How is semen collected?

Answer 19

Artificial vagina: dog, stallion
Electroejaculation: ruminants, cats

Question 20

How is semen evaluated? (7)

Answer 20

Volume
Concentration (hemocytometer, spectrophotometer)
Motility (raw, extended)
Culture
Serology
Color (urine, blood)
Morphology

Question 21

What are the minimum values of semen motility?

Answer 21

Bulls: fair gross swirling/wave, >30% progressive
Stallions: >60% progressive

Question 22

What infectious agents are looked for with semen evaluation?

Answer 22

Dogs: brucella canis
Horses: equine viral arteritis

Question 23

What are the minimum values of semen morphology?

Answer 23

Bull: >70% normal
Stallion: >60% normal

Question 24

What are examples of sperm morphology defects?

Answer 24

Head defects
Acrosome defects
Protoplasmic droplets
Tail defects
Primordial germ cells
Non-germ cells (WBCs)

Question 25

What are 4 ancillary tests for semen evaluation?

Answer 25

Sperm chromatin structure assay (DNA integrity)
Fluorescent probes (plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial function)
Anti-sperm antibody tests
Biochemical analysis of seminal plasma (alkaline phosphatase levels)

Question 26

Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA)

Answer 26

Sperm subject to acid environment
Sperm w nuclear DNA strand breaks are denatured
dsDNA = green
ssDNA = red
Percentage of sperm with denatured DNA is correlated to potential fertility

Question 27

Antisperm Antibody Tests

Answer 27

Blood testis barrier disruption can lead to development of ASA that can cause a decrease in fertility

Question 28

What are 4 examples of evidence of undesirable traits?

Answer 28

Heritable traits
Behavioral disorders
Physical abnormalities
Venereal disease

Question 29

How is a BSE interpreted?

Answer 29

Mating ability/libido
Testicular size
Semen quality (progressively motile, morphologically normal spermatozoa)

Question 30

What are the classifications of the BSE in bulls?

Answer 30

Satisfactory
Questionable
Decision Deferred
Unsatisfactory

Question 31

Satisfactory Bulls

Answer 31

Expected seasonal pregnancy rate >80%
30 cows in a 60 day breeding period

Question 32

Questionable Bulls

Answer 32

Bull didn’t pass one part of the BSE

Question 33

Decision Deferred Bulls

Answer 33

Prepubertal bulls with poor semen quality
Mature bulls with recent illness that affected spermatogenesis (reevaluate in 60 days)

Question 34

Unsatisfactory Bulls

Answer 34

Failed BSE
Low preg rates/fertility

Question 35

Satisfactory Breeding Stallion

Answer 35

> 75% seasonal pregnancy rate
40 mares naturally
120 mares by AI

Question 36

BSE is used to estimate ________________.

Answer 36

Potential fertility
The only true criteria for evaluation of fertility is the pregnancy rate in females bred