Genital pathology of feral male goats

Management of Reproductive Diseases in Male Small Ruminants

Reproductive tract diseases can be a significant cause of subfertility or infertility in male small ruminants. Affected males can usually be identified early by performing routine serologic screening and yearly breeding soundness examinations. Early diagnosis will either maximize treatment success or expedite culling decisions. Once clinical signs of diseases develop, prognosis for breeding ability declines. Veterinary practitioners should used ancillary diagnostic techniques, such as ultrasound examination and laboratory testing to acquire a diagnosis and determine prognosis of reproductive lesions. Some diseases (eg, brucellosis) should be ruled out immediately to cull affected animals and minimize transmission within the herd.

Pathological conditions associated with the male reproductive tract of the sahel bucks

The study of pathological conditions of the male reproductive system is paramount to understanding reproductive inefficiency in the Sahel goat. In this study, 1048 Sahel bucks presented for slaughter at the Maiduguri metropolitan abattoir were evaluated for the presence of various pathological abnormalities of the reproductive system. A total incidence of 15.08% was recorded for various pathological conditions, with testicular, penile, and scrotal conditions having incidences of 7.82%, 4.80 and 2.50%, respectively. Bilateral testicular hypoplasia and atrophy and unilateral cryptorchidism accounted for incidences of 4.10%, 2.38%, and 1.24%, respectively, while paraphimosis and scrotal laceration had incidences of 1.72% and 1.05%, respectively. Age specific incidence of pathological conditions were not significant (P > 0.05) between bucks aged <1–1.5 and 2–2.5 years. However, bucks aged 3–3.5 year a had lower (P < 0.05) incidence of pathological conditions than other age groups. Histopathological evidence of inflammation, degeneration, and atrophy was observed in the testes, while inflammatory changes were observed in the prepuce.

Abnormalities of the testes and epididymis in bucks and rams slaughtered at Debre Zeit abattoir, Ethiopia

A study was conducted at Debre Zeit export abattoir on 404 bucks belonging to four breeds and 167 rams of two breeds. The animals were selected from the slaughter flock using stratified sampling based on breed. Ante-mortem and post-mortem examinations were carried out after each animal was carefully identified. Various genital abnormalities were observed, among which testicular atrophy and epididymitis were the predominant genital problems in both bucks and rams. The prevalence of cryptorchidism was higher (p<0.05) in bucks than in rams, while epididymitis (p<0.05), sperm granuloma (p<0.01) and epididymal cysts (p<0.05) were more frequent in rams. In bucks, none of these abnormalities was significantly associated with age (p>0.05). However, testicular atrophy (p<0.01), epididymitis (p<0.01) and haemorrhagic lesions (p<0.05) were associated with breed, the prevalence being higher in Woito-Guji and Boran bucks than in the Arsi-Bale and Afar breeds. In rams, age affected (p<0.05) the incidence of testicular atrophy, epididymitis and sperm granulomas. Epididymitis, sperm granuloma and epididymal cysts were more frequent (p<0.01) in Adal rams than in Black Head Somalis.

Cutaneous haemangiosarcoma in a sheep: morphological, histopathological and immunohistochemical observations

Haemangiosarcomas of animals are reported mainly in the dog and cat and less commonly in the cow, horse, pig and goat, but no cases have been reported in sheep. These tumours occur more commonly in internal sites than in the subcutis. A large mass in the right flank of a 6-year-old Sardinian sheep showed histopathological features of a haemangiosarcoma. The antibodies anti-Factor VIII-related antigen (FVIII-RAg) and anti-CD31 did not react immunohistochemically with either the normal or the neoplastic endothelial cells, whereas endothelin-1 strongly labelled both the normal and the neoplastic cells at different stages of differentiation. The results emphasize the usefulness of endothelin-1 as a vascular marker in sheep, particularly in the immunohistochemical detection of neoplastic endothelial cells.

Cutaneous vasoproliferative lesions in goats

Abstract. In a retrospective survey of caprine neoplastic disease, eight masses were diagnosed as cutaneous vascular tumors. The typical clinical presentation was a solitary raised, bleeding mass. No predilection with regard to age, breed, sex, or anatomic location was found. Reevaluation of the microscopic features of the masses resulted in diagnoses of hamartoma (2), hemangioma (4), and hemangiosarcoma (2). An endothelial cell origin was confirmed in all seven tumors tested immunohistochemically for factor VIII-related antigen. Although rarely reported, goats display a range of cutaneous vascular growth abnormalities similar to those observed in other domestic animals.

Herpesviral abortion in domestic animals

Abortion or neonatal disease may follow infection with several alpha, beta and gamma-herpesviruses. The alpha-herpesvirus, equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), causes single or epizootic abortions or neonatal deaths in equids, and the closely related virus EHV-4 causes sporadic equine abortions. In cattle, the alpha-herpesviruses, bovine herpesvirus-1 (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus) and bovine herpesvirus-5 (bovine encephalitis virus), and a gamma-herpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus-4, have all been implicated as causes of abortion. In pigs, suid herpesvirus-1 (SHV-1: pseudorabies virus), an alpha-herpesvirus, and SHV-2 (porcine cytomegalovirus), a beta-herpesvirus, each cause abortion or neonatal piglet losses. Caprine herpesvirus-1, canine herpesvirus and feline herpesvirus-1, all alpha-herpesviruses, cause abortions or neonatal deaths in goats, dogs and cats, respectively. This review discusses the pathogenesis, pathology and laboratory diagnosis of these herpesviral abortions and neonatal diseases, with an emphasis on experimental studies of each disease. Alternative reviews covering other aspects of each infection, such as the genetic and antigenic structure of the viruses, host immune responses and approaches to vaccination and disease control are indicated at appropriate points in the text.

Replication of equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in the testes and epididymides of ponies and venereal shedding of infectious virus

Six Welsh Mountain pony colts were infected intranasally with the Ab4 isolate of EHV-1. Clinical and virological monitoring demonstrated mild upper respiratory tract disease, with nasal shedding of virus and establishment of a cell-associated viraemia. Detailed pathological examination of the urogenital tract was performed post mortem on days 4-9 post-infection (PI). EHV-1 was isolated from the epididymis on day 8 and the testis on day 9 PI, with viral replication in endothelial cells of these organs and an associated necrotizing vasculitis and thrombosis. Productive viral infection of germinal epithelium was not observed. In a further study, three Welsh Mountain pony stallions were infected intranasally with Ab4, which again resulted in mild upper respiratory tract disease and the establishment of a cell-associated viraemia. Semen samples were collected up to day 60 PI. Two stallions showed a decrease in the proportion of morphologically normal sperm. Significant numbers of inflammatory cells were observed in the sperm-rich fraction of ejaculates collected from one stallion between days 16 and 28 PI; infectious virus was recovered from the semen of this animal between days 17 and 25 PI, after the cessation of viraemia. The affected stallion appeared clinically normal over the period of venereal EHV-1 shedding.

Intratubular spermatic granulomas of the canine efferent ductules

Spermatic granulomas are inflammatory lesions that occur in the efferent ductule and epididymis of humans, goats, rats, and bulls. Three clinically normal dogs from a control group had histologic lesions of the initial segment of the caput epididymis consisting of intratubular spermatic granulomas. The granulomas were located within the efferent ductules, and the inflammatory response consisted primarily of aggregates of spermiophagic macrophages in the ductules. Sperm stasis of the affected ductules was evident by the dilation and accumulation of large numbers of spermatozoa in adjacent cross-sections of efferent ductules. Blind-ending efferent ductules were demonstrated by serially sectioning the initial segment of the epididymis. The intratubular granulomas did not completely occlude the outflow tract because spermatozoa were present in the cauda epididymis. While spermatic granulomas can be induced by trauma, infection, or toxins, spontaneous granulomas due to blind-ending ductules should be considered as a differential. Clinical history, location of the granuloma, and serial sectioning can help determine the most likely etiology in early cases.

Congenital abnormalities of the genitalia of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs

The essential steps in embryology of the genitalia and its sexual differentiation, are briefly reviewed. The major intersex states in domestic ruminants and pigs are briefly considered. Major attention is directed to anomalies of the reproductive organs of mature female and male animals that are likely to compromise fertility. Emphasis is placed on clinical and pathologic findings and on occurrence and pathogenesis of recorded defects.