AAVSB Reproductive Medicine and Theriogenology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An 8-year-old intact female dog presents with polyuria, polydipsia, and a vaginal discharge 6 weeks after estrus. Abdominal ultrasound shows a fluid-filled uterus. Which is the most appropriate treatment?
- Oral antibiotic therapy alone
- Progesterone supplementation
- Ovariohysterectomy (Correct answer)
- Prostaglandin F2α in a breeding female
Correct answer: Ovariohysterectomy
Ovariohysterectomy is the definitive and safest treatment for pyometra in a non-breeding female dog, eliminating the infected uterus and source of systemic illness.
Question 2: Which condition in sows is characterized by postpartum inflammation leading to the triad of mastitis, metritis, and agalactia?
- Pyometra
- Mastitis-Metritis-Agalactia (MMA) syndrome (Correct answer)
- Cystic endometrial hyperplasia
- Retained fetal membranes
Correct answer: Mastitis-Metritis-Agalactia (MMA) syndrome
MMA syndrome (also called postpartum dysgalactia syndrome) affects sows shortly after farrowing and causes systemic illness, uterine inflammation, and failure of milk let-down.
Question 3: Brucella canis infection in dogs is most commonly transmitted via which route?
- Respiratory aerosols
- Contaminated food and water
- Vaginal discharges, aborted materials, and semen (Correct answer)
- Insect vectors
Correct answer: Vaginal discharges, aborted materials, and semen
Brucella canis is primarily transmitted through contact with vaginal discharges, aborted fetuses, and infected semen, making breeding and whelping high-risk events.
Question 4: In mares, at approximately which day of gestation can an embryonic heartbeat first be detected by ultrasonography, confirming viable pregnancy?
- Day 10
- Day 22–25 (Correct answer)
- Day 40
- Day 60
Correct answer: Day 22–25
Cardiac activity in equine embryos is first detectable ultrasonographically around days 22–25 of gestation, confirming embryo viability.
Question 5: Which pregnancy diagnosis test in cattle detects pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) in blood serum as early as 28 days post-breeding?
- Milk progesterone ELISA
- Rectal palpation
- BioPRYN serum ELISA (Correct answer)
- Vaginal cytology
Correct answer: BioPRYN serum ELISA
The BioPRYN test uses ELISA to detect bovine pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (bPAGs) produced by the placenta, allowing accurate early pregnancy diagnosis from blood.
Question 6: What is the recommended management for a cow with a retained fetal membrane (RFM) that is still present 24 hours postpartum?
- Immediate manual removal under general anesthesia
- Systemic antibiotics and allow natural expulsion (Correct answer)
- Intrauterine corticosteroid infusion
- Oxytocin administration every 2 hours indefinitely
Correct answer: Systemic antibiotics and allow natural expulsion
Current recommendations advise against manual removal of retained fetal membranes in cattle due to risk of hemorrhage and endometritis; systemic antibiotics and monitoring for metritis are preferred.
Question 7: A mare at day 16 of gestation is found to have twin embryonic vesicles on ultrasound. What is the most appropriate next step?
- Allow both embryos to develop naturally
- Perform manual crushing of one vesicle per rectum (Correct answer)
- Administer PGF2α to terminate both pregnancies
- Perform embryo transfer of one vesicle
Correct answer: Perform manual crushing of one vesicle per rectum
Manual transvaginal or transrectal crushing of one embryonic vesicle at days 14–17 is the standard procedure to reduce equine twins, as twin pregnancies rarely result in live foals.
AAVSB Reproductive Medicine and Theriogenology 2
An 8-year-old intact female dog presents with polyuria, polydipsia, and a vaginal discharge 6 weeks after estrus.
Abdominal ultrasound shows a fluid-filled uterus.
Which is the most appropriate treatment?