No abstract

Due to the peculiarities of the reproductive cycle of the female dog, which makes it difficult to accurately ascertain the date of conception, it may be challenging to precisely estimate the gestational age in bitches. Using fetal measurements obtained by ultrasound, it is possible to estimate the gestational age in dogs; however, due to the differences in size of the various breeds, such estimates may have a significant standard deviation, which represents less accuracy when specifying the date of birth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pregnant female Chihuahuas, establishing relations between the fetal dimensions measured by ultrasound and the remaining time until delivery. Using 13 pregnant female Chihuahuas, weekly ultrasound assessments and measurements were performed, of the inner chorionic cavity, cranial-caudal length, biparietal diameter, abdominal diameter and thoracic diameter. Such parameters were retroactively correlated to the date of delivery, and linear regressions were established between the gestational measurements and remaining days until delivery. The fetal measurement presenting the highest correlation (r = 0.99; P<0.0001) and reliability (R 2 = 0.98, P<0.0001) with the probable date of delivery was the biparietal diameter, a measurement that can be easily and safely obtained and, when applying a specific formula (Y =-15.46X1 + 38.72), can accurately predict the date of delivery in Chihuahua female dogs.

No abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of delivering reduced doses of hormones via the Bai Hui acupoint in estrus synchronization in goats. A total of 40 goats received intravaginal sponges with medroxyprogesterone acetate for 7 days. The goats were then randomly distributed into 5 treatment: T1 - application of 132.5 ?g of cloprostenol and 300 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), both by intramuscular injection (IM); T2 - application of 39.75 ?g cloprostenol at the Bai Hui acupoint, and 300 IU of eCG by IM; T3 - application of 132.5 ?g of cloprostenol by IM, and 90 IU of eCG at the Bai Hui acupoint; T4 - application of 39.75?g of cloprostenol and 90 UI of eCG, both in Bai Hui and T5 acupuncture: application of 39.75?g of cloprostenol and 90 UI of eCG, both applied in false acupoint. The goats were subjected to an estrus synchronization protocol and monitored for estrus detection, coverage and evaluation of reproductive parameters to detect entry into estrus. The data were subjected to normality tests, followed by appropriate statistical analyses of each variable. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the percentage of animals in estrus (95.00 ± 11.18%), interval between sponge removal and beginning of estrus (49.72 ± 8.93 h), interval between sponge removal and end of estrus (76.84 ± 11.98 h), duration of estrus (27.08 ± 8.68 h), size of the largest follicle (6.82 ± 0.44 mm), interval between sponge removal and ovulation (78.28 ± 10.82 h), time from ovarian onset to estrus (28.52 ± 5.44 h), follicular growth rate (0.86 ± 0.29 mm/day), number of ovulations (1.32 ± 0.23), plasma progesterone concentration at 7 days after ovulation (10.28 ± 1.65 ng.mL-1), and gestation rate at 30 days after the beginning of estrus (75 ± 12.5%). However, the cost of the synchronization protocol per animal was 43.42% lower in treatments 4 and 5 (30% of the doses) than in treatment 1 (100% of the dose). Ovulation and estrus were efficiently synchronized with the use of 39.75 ?g of sodium cloprostenol and 90 UI of eCG, applied at the Bai Hui acupoint or at a false acupoint.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of prepubertal ewe lambs to exogenous administration of either medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) or long-acting progesterone (LAP) together with biostimulation. Two Pool Dorset adult males and 75 mixed-breed prepubertal ewe lambs (average of 179 days-old and 30.0kg) were used. The females were randomly assigned to three different groups. In the first group the females were submitted to the insertion of intravaginal sponges containing MAP (60 mg) for 12 days and were then biostimulated for eight weeks. In the second group the females were submitted to a single injection of LAP (225 mg) and then to biostimulation for eight weeks. In the last group, the females were only submitted to biostimulation for eight weeks. Animals were considered cyclic when plasma progesterone (P4) concentration exceeded 1.0 ng/mL in at least one of two consecutive blood samples taken within a 7-day interval in three distinct experimental moments. After treatments 93.3% of the females disregarding their group started their cyclicity and most of them (92.0%), continued to be cyclic after 63 days of either MAP or LAP together with biostimulation under both male and female effect. We conclude that prepubertal ewe lambs when submitted to protocols of either MAP or LAP followed by biostimulation result in puberty at the 7 month of age. It can be deducted that some ewe lambs submitted to the administration of either MAP or LAP together with biostimulation promoted a multiplier effect upon the other young females that were then stimulated to start cyclicity

SUMMARY The objective of this study was to verify the accuracy of sexing and fetal number estimation in small ruminants by ultrasonographic examination. Fifty fetuses from 36 sheep and 23 fetuses from 11 goats were evaluated. In the case of sheep, twenty-four, ten, and two pregnancy were single, double, and triple, respectively. Regarding the goats, three, five, two, and one simple pregnancy were single, double, triple, and quadruple, respectively. The evaluations were performed on days 55 and 65 of gestation, by means of transrectal ultrasonographic examination, using a dual-frequency linear transducer, (6.0 and 8.0 MHz). Fetal sex was diagnosed by the location of the genital tubercle or visualization of external genitalia. The accuracy of fetal sexing was evaluated using the Chi-square test (X2) considering a 5% significance level. The gestational period interfered in the accuracy of fetal sexing in both species (P <0.05). Obtained results showed 30% and 82.61% accuracy on day 55 of gestation, and 90% and 95.83% on day 65 for goats and sheep, respectively. The fetal sex and the type of pregnancy did not interfere in the sexing accuracy in both species during the evaluated periods (P> 0.05). Thus, B-mode ultrasonography is an efficient method to perform an early diagnosis of fetal sex and to determine the number of fetuses in the studied small ruminants on day 65 of gestation. In addition, the accuracy of fetal sexing is not influenced by the type of pregnancy or fetal sex.

Monteiro GA, Ignacio FS, Maziero RRD, Biscarde CEA, Mattos MCC, Dutra PA, Bicudo SD. Pre-pubic tendon rupture in ewe. Vet. e Zootec. 2018 mar.; 25(1): 085-088. ABSTRACTPre-pubic tendon rupture is an often affection in mares, rarer in ewes and cows because of an additional connection of the pre-pubic tendon found in these species. Etiology of this affection is not completed elucidated, but it is associated with many gestation affections. Treatment is usually unsatisfactory. This report aims to describe principle clinical and anatomopathologyc findings in an ewe at the fifth month of gestation with pre-pubic tendon rupture. Bad general clinical status led to euthanasia. Clinical and anatomopathological findings are consistent with pre-pubic tendon rupture. The report of this case works as an alert to the possibility of the occurrence of this affection in ewes and demonstrate a necessity to the parturition assistance of these animals.

Twenty semen samples from ten rams of the Santa Inês breed were cryopreserved with the goal of verifying the effect of trehalose addition (100mOsmol) (group 1 -TRIS+TRE) to a Tris-egg yolk-glycerol extender (group 2 -TRIS), associated or not to the calcium chelator EDTA (group 3 -TRIS+TRE+EDTA), on the post-thaw sperm viability. After evaluation, the diluted semen samples were cooled at 5C and frozen in liquid nitrogen steam. After thawing, the kinetic sperm parameters were analyzed by a computer analyses system (CASA). The sperm viability was observed by using the multiple sperm parameter staining with propidium iodide (PMI, plasmatic membrane integrity), JC-1 (MMP, mitochondrial membrane potential) and FITC-PSA (ACI, acrosomal integrity). The statistical analysis was performed using the SAS software, applying the MEANS procedure for descriptive analysis and the GLM procedure with the Student-Newman-Keuls test (SNK) for comparison of sperm parameters among different groups (with P<0.05). The percentage of total and progressive motility post-thaw were the greatest (P<0.05) for the TRIS group in relation to trehalose ones. The PMI, MMP, and ACI rates (%) did not present differences (P>0.05) among the groups. It can be concluded that the trehalose addition to the TRIS extender, associated or not to EDTA, had detrimental effect on cryosurvival ram sperm. Trehalose and a calcium chelator for ram semen cryopreservation