Breeding Soundness
Exams
By Karen
Berk
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A breeding
soundness exam, or BSE, is a necessary and practical expense for both breeder
or buyer. They are done on both mares and stallions, and include a battery of
tests to determine the breeding status of the animal, and health of the
reproductive and endocrine systems.
Often when purchasing a mare, the
buyer will, and should, do a vet check. Although the mare may not be purchased
for the intended purpose of reproduction, she may be harboring reproductive
problems that could impede her performance career. These may include cystic
ovaries, uterine infections, chronic or otherwise, hormonal imbalances, and
vaginal windsucking to name a few. For this reason, we recommend a BSE in
addition to physical exam, blood work and x-rays, when investing in any
mare.
Pre season BSEs need to be addressed as early as November for the
Febuary breeder. Often when finding a manageable problem, it can take time to
identify and alleviate. If waiting until February, you can lose valuable weeks
of your season before your mare is "clean." As example, if a biopsy is found to
be necessary, you would not breed on that cycle, but wait for the next. Time
lost can mean the decreased value of a foal born later in the season.
A
breeding soundness exam, may consist of all, or a combination of tests. These
would depend on the mare's age, breeding status, and history. The history is
quite important, and if at all possible, should be presented first, to the vet
preforming the BSE. Examples of this background would include:
- Has she been
previously bred.
- How many live foals
delivered.
- Any foaling
problems.
- How many cycles to
settle.
- Any early embryonic
loss.
- Average length of
estrus cycle.
- Abortions, and at
what stage of pregnancy.
- Previous treatment
for uterine infection.
- When was her last
foal.
The exam commences
with a visual exam of the mares vaginal conformation. This includes the vulva,
perineum and anal area. As mares age, and this is certainly more prevalent with
certain breeds, the vulva, normally vertical, tips, creating a recessed anus.
This gives the vulva a shelf effect, and allows dropping manure to contaminate
the area, in turn allowing bacteria to find entrance to the vaginal tract. The
opposing lips should not sag or gap. If they do not seal, the mare will
aspirate air, predisposing her to uterine infection. This condition is called
Pneumovagina. A procedure called a Caslick, effectively corrects this. It is a
simple suturing of the external vulvar lips. Mares in race training are
routinely Caslicked when they enter training. This is to alleviate them from
windsucking, common during speed work. Without the Caslick, they are
predisposed to vaginal, uterine and endometrial problems, in turn, affecting
performance. Caslicks are removed shortly before parturition, in the bred mare.
Open mares are often Caslicked, as routine, to keep them clean until the next
season.
Your vet will then move on to the internal exam. A rectal
palpation is used to check the status of her ovaries, possible follicles,
uterus, uterine tone and cervix. Pregnancy status is also confirmed. The
ovaries are kidney bean shaped and can range in size from a marble to a golf
ball. Hard, smooth, small ovaries are indicative of anestrus and, or a hormonal
imbalance. Ovarian tumors can create an oversized ovary. The vet is looking for
follicular activity, either a pre-ovulatory follicle or a corpus luteum. These
would indicate normal estral activity.
Moving on to the uterus, which
consists of a body and opposing horns, forming a Y or T formation. It is
checked for size, symmetry of the horns, and abnormalities. These may include
possible tumors, atrophy of the endometrial folds, or lymphatic cysts, to name
a few.
The final area to check is the cervix. Physically it is a tube
like structure that connects the vagina to the uterus. It is of vast importance
to the reproductive efficiency of the mare. During diestrus, (non heat) or
pregnancy, it is closed and firm. During estrus, it softens and dilates to
allow passage of the ejaculate or insemination. If the mare loses the ability
to close and keep the cervix sealed, she will abort. Damage to the cervix can
come through difficult foal delivery, rendering tears and scar tissue. To check
the cervix, the vet will additionally do a visual check, by placing a vaginal
speculum into the vagina. Using a flashlight, the entire vaginal canal can be
inspected. Scarring and tears to the cervix can be observed along with possible
pooling of fluid or urine.
Specimens are now collected. A uterine
endometrial culture and cytology are routine. These are done with the
introduction of a swab into the uterus, and the samples grown and examined for
uterine infection, and the presence of microorganisms. The cytology is a study
of the actual cells for evidence of contamination, yeast, fungi, etc.
An
endometrial biopsy is the best method of evaluating the mare as a potential
broodmare. It uses a category system for prognosis.
1.
Class 1:
2. Class 11A:
3. Class 11B:
4. Class 111: |
80 -
90% chance of carrying to term
50 - 80%
10 - 50%
Less then 10% chance
of carrying to term |
An alligator type
uterine forceps, introduced vaginally, extricates a small piece of endometrial
tissue. Most serious problems, that can adversely affect a mare's fertility,
can be detected only by these samples, under a microscope.
Additional
information can be obtained with the use of transrectal ultrasound. One of the
best uses of ultrasound, in a BSE, is it's ability to "see" fluid accumulation
within the uterus. Another excellent diagnostic tool is blood work. Non
physical problems in mares are often the result of inefficiencies of the
Endocrine system. It is these glands that are the brain of the entire
reproductive factory. Without the proper hormonal stimulation, there can be
reproductive shutdown. A hormonal assay is a quick, inexpensive diagram of your
horses reproductive fuel source.
Stallions too should receive a yearly
exam. As a stallion ages, he goes through physical changes. After age 13, you
may see signs of testicular degeneration. Before considering a stallion for
purchase, breeding, or pre season re-evaluation, a BSE would include:
- Penile cultures,
including Urethra, pre and post ejaculation, Fossa Glandis, and semen
culture
- Semen collection and
evaluation for Progressive Motility, Concentration, Volume, Morphology,
Longevity, Velocity, Extenders
- Testing for
STDs
- Testicular
palpation, with ultrasound if necessary
- Check Orientation of
testicles
- Daily sperm
production VS Daily sperm output
- Hormone analysis
Additional visual
observations of the BSE include; Signs of testicular degeneration, Libido,
Number of mounts, Ability to maintain erection, Mount without difficulty,
Physical ability to thrust, Ability to ejaculate sperm.
It is possible
for a stallion to hold back sperm, ejaculating only seminal fluids. This is
often caused by previous breeding and/or collection mismanagement, but can also
be physical. Stallions who do so can become "accumulators" and develop
blockages. In most cases these can be eliminated through repeated, multiple,
daily collections.
It is unfortunate that culturing stallions at the
onset of each breeding season, is not a prerequisite of breeders. Stallion
owners demand clean cultures and cytologies of mares to be bred, and mare
owners should do likewise. Mare owners have every right to inquire as to a
stallion's breeding soundness exam, and current status. Whether a stallion had
a good past season, is not necessarily an indication of the current one. Mares
may be high tech, high maintenance, factories, but stallions are not
machines.
Annual pre season breeding soundness exams are good horse
sense, good business sense, plus outstanding preventative medicine. Talk to
your vet early to prepare for your coming breeding season. Discussing and
implementing a program, including early breeding soundness exams, will help you
realize your reproductive expectations, and put you on the road to a successful
endeavor.
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