Bull breeding soundness examination Flashcards

1
Q

What should a fertile bull be able to do?

A
  • 90% of 50 normal, cycling, disease free, females pregnant within 9 weeks
  • 60% should become pregnant within the first 3 weeks of the breeding period
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2
Q

What must the bull be able to do to achieve good fertility in natural service conditions?

A
  • Find cows in heat
  • Mount the cow
  • Serve the cow
  • Produce large amounts of viable sperm
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3
Q

What are the 3 parts to a bull breeding soundness exam?

A
  1. General clinical examination
  2. Reproductive tract examination
  3. Semen evaluation
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4
Q

What does general clinical exam include?

A
  • condition score
  • locomotion + gait
  • conformation
  • ocular conditions
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5
Q

What does a reproductive tract exam include?

A
  • scrotal circumference
  • testicles + related structures
  • accessory sex glands
  • prepuce + penis
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6
Q

What does semen evaluation include?

A
  • gross motility
  • linear progressive motility
  • morphology
  • white blood cells
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7
Q

What is ideal BCS of a bull at the start of the breeding season?

A
  • ideally 3-3.5
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8
Q

Why would you check for ocular + teeth problems?
+ why do you locomotion score?

A
  • Ocular - detecting cows in heat
  • Teeth - may be under/overshot = heritable
  • Locomotion score = lame bulls can’t serve as well
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9
Q

Why is scrotal circumference important?
What should it be at 2 years old?

A
  • Scrotal circumference highly correlated with total sperm output
  • > 34cm at 2 y/o
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10
Q

What are different methods of semen collection?

A
  • Artificial vagina
  • Electro-ejaculation
  • Trans-rectal ampullary massage
  • Internal artificial vaginal
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11
Q

What must be done prior to elecro-ejaculation?

A
  • 1-2 mins massaging the ampullae
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12
Q

What is the rule of thumb with libido testing?

A
  • If a bull is put with a cow on heat then he should serve her definitely withing 20mins ideally within 10mins
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13
Q

What are specific problems of the reproductive tract?

A
  • Penile and preputial problems
  • Problems with the accessory sex glands
  • Problems with the testes
  • Sexually transmitted disease
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14
Q

What should be done with penile haematoma (broken penis)

A
  • Cull
  • Medical Tx = swelling <15cm
    -rest for 2 months
  • cold hosing for 4 days followed by warm hosing and massaging for 3 weeks
  • Antibiotics to stop abscess + NSAIDs
  • Surgical Tx = removal of blood clot + suturing of tunica albuginea where possible
  • followed by medical Tx
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15
Q

What is penile fibropapilloma?
What should be done?

A
  • Caused by bovine papilloma virus
  • Most common in young bulls
  • May disappear with time - but can interfere with serving so should be surgically removed
  • Removal done standing using pudendal nerve block
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16
Q

What are other penile and preputial problems?

A
  • Penile deviations
  • Hair rings
  • Persistent frenulum
  • Preputial injuries
  • Preputial prolapse
17
Q

What are the main venereal diseases in cattle?

A
  • Campylobacter fetus venerealis
  • Tritrichomonas foetus
  • BHV 1 - IPVV
18
Q

What are clinical signs of Campylobacter fetus venerealis?

A
  • Endometritis after service
  • Failure to conceive
  • Late embryonic death
  • Abortion (Usually 4-5months)
  • Infected cows become immune after few months but may shed for up to 1yr
  • Bulls don’t develop immunity - but can treat young bulls with streptomycin
19
Q

How is campylobacter fetus venerealis diagnosed?
Control?

A
  • Males = sheath washing + culture
  • Females = vaginal mucus culture
  • Control = use AI for at least 2 yrs, separate infected from non-infected
20
Q

What is tritrichomonas fetus? What does it cause?

A
  • Protozoan parasite
  • Bulls are carriers after transient balanoposthitis become asymptomatic carriers
  • Females = may abort (2-4mo), discharge 1wk after service, may lead to pyometra
  • NOT IN THE UK
21
Q

What is IPVV?

A
  • Infectious pustular vulvovaginitis
  • Caused by BHV-1
  • Venereal spread by carriers
  • Not associated with abortion or respiratory disease (Different strain to IBR)
22
Q

What are clinical signs of IPVV + Dx?

A
  • CS =
  • In the cow = mucopurulent vaginal discharge, Inflammation of the vaginal and vulvar mucosa with pustules which become ulcers
  • In the bull = Painful swelling of the penis and prepuce
  • Dx = PCR, serology
  • No need to treat
23
Q
A