Influence of prenatal corticosteroid therapy on neonatal vitality and utility as a labor-inducing agent in Santa Inês ewes.

Since the 1970s, maternal corticosteroid therapy has been used successfully to induce labor. This allows for better monitoring of parturients and provision of first aid to neonates, improving neonatal viability, as this treatment induces maturation in a variety of fetal tissues, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality. Although the effects of corticosteroids are well known, few studies have investigated the influence of this therapy in Santa Inês sheep.

Estimated date of delivery in Chihuahua breed bitches, based on embryo-fetal biometry, assessed by ultrasonography.

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.

Dimethylacetamide and trehalose for ram semen cryopreservation.

Eighteen semen samples from nine Santa Ines rams were cryopreserved in order to study the cryoprotective capacity of dimethylacetamide (DMA) at two concentrations (3% and 6%), and its interaction with trehalose (TRE, 100 mOsmol). A further objective of this study was to evaluate in vivo fertility of ram semen cryopreserved with dimethylacetamide. The control treatment was an extender medium with 6% glycerol (GLY).

Immunocastration of goats using anti-gonadotrophin releasing hormone vaccine.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the immuno-sterilizing action of anti-gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (anti-GnRH) vaccine in goats. Eighteen male goats were randomly distributed to receive three treatments: T1 (control) - whole animals, and T2 and T3 - application of 0.5 and 1.