Rhodesian Ridgebacks have an increased risk to develop benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an age-dependent primarily non-inflammatory enlargement of the accessory gland in the intact dog. The aim of the present study was to control a previously raised suspicion of a breed-related higher incidence of BPH in dogs of the Rhodesian Ridgeback breed. For this, 18 Labrador Retrievers/LR and 20 Rhodesian Ridgebacks/RR were assigned to the age groups 18-24 months (n = 12), 25-48 months (n = 13) and 49-72 months (n = 13).

Impaired spermatogenesis, tubular wall disruption, altered blood-testis barrier composition and intratubular lymphocytes in an infertile Beagle dog - a putative case of autoimmune orchitis.

Impairment of blood-testis barrier integrity can be observed during inflammation, infection, trauma and experimental autoimmune orchitis, which is inducible in rodents. In the present study, an initially fertile two-year-old Beagle dog was presented with a decline in total sperm number resulting in azoospermia within five months, verified by twice-monthly semen analyses. The dog was clinically healthy with bilateral small testes and showed normal thyroid function.

Proliferative and apoptotic changes in the healthy canine endometrium and in cystic endometrial hyperplasia.

Proliferation and apoptosis play an important role in cyclic changes in the healthy canine endometrium. Proteins of the Bcl-2-family are known to be involved in the regulation of apoptosis. However, only few reports mention their expression patterns during cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH).

Monochorial diamniotic dizygotic twins in a German Shepherd Dog: A case report.

A 6.5-year-old clinically healthy German Shepherd Dog with regular oestrous cycles of 6 months was presented for pregnancy diagnosis on day 38 after ovulation (p.ov.

[Evaluation of the blood progesterone concentration in the bitch measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay at the day of ovulation].

Objective: Modifications of human test systems used in veterinary laboratory practice could lead to reference-range adaptions for their veterinary use. In 2012 the manufacturer of a widely used chemiluminescence immunoassay modified the test for progesterone measurement leading to a reference range adaption for the breeding-time detection in the bitch.

Material And Methods: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the mean progesterone concentration by using the modified chemiluminescence immunoassay at the time of ovulation in the bitch and to compare this with previously used reference ranges.

A commercial box for dog semen transport: What happens inside when the environmental temperature is increasing?

Environmental temperatures may influence the temperature inside commercial transport boxes during semen shipment and thereby storage conditions of diluted dog semen. To evaluate the temperature changes inside boxes and their influence on sperm quality, split semen samples (n=8) were placed in Neopor boxes(®) exposed for 48h to room temperature (RT) (Box 1), 40°C for 6h and then kept at RT (Box 2) or 40°C (Box 3). A fourth subsample was kept at 4-5°C in a refrigerator (control).

Canine distemper virus infection leads to an inhibitory phenotype of monocyte-derived dendritic cells in vitro with reduced expression of co-stimulatory molecules and increased interleukin-10 transcription.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) exhibits a profound lymphotropism that causes immunosuppression and increased susceptibility of affected dogs to opportunistic infections. Similar to human measles virus, CDV is supposed to inhibit terminal differentiation of dendritic cells (DCs), responsible for disturbed repopulation of lymphoid tissues and diminished antigen presenting function in dogs. In order to testify the hypothesis that CDV-infection leads to an impairment of professional antigen presenting cells, canine DCs have been generated from peripheral blood monocytes in vitro and infected with CDV.

Effect of short-term scrotal hyperthermia on spermatological parameters, testicular blood flow and gonadal tissue in dogs.

The objective was to assess the effect of a short-term scrotal hyperthermia in dogs on quantitative and qualitative ejaculate parameters, testicular blood flow and testicular and epididymal histology. After a control period, the scrotum of seven normospermic adult beagle dogs was insulated with a self-made suspensory for 48 h. Nine weeks later, two animals were castrated, while in five animals, scrotal hyperthermia was repeated.

Testicular steroids, prolactin, relaxin and prostate gland markers in peripheral blood and seminal plasma of normal dogs and dogs with prostatic hyperplasia.

Concentrations of 17β-oestradiol (E(2) ), testosterone (T), 5α-dihydrotestosterone, prolactin (PRL) and relaxin (RLN) were determined in peripheral blood serum or plasma and prostatic secretion of 77 physically healthy intact male dogs (19 Rhodesian Ridgebacks/RR, 58 dogs of other breeds, 1-9 years of age). Furthermore, the concentrations of acid phosphatase in prostatic secretion and canine prostate-specific esterase (CPSE) were measured in blood plasma. All dogs were submitted to a complete breeding soundness examination, including B-mode sonography.

Serum progesterone in pregnant bitches supplemented with progestin because of expected or suspected luteal insufficiency.

Progesterone profiles of individual bitches may vary considerably both between and within individuals during pregnancy and non-pregnancy. Suspected luteal deficiency is commonly purported but is difficult to evaluate in clinical cases when progesterone is supplemented because this masks the underlying hormone changes. Therefore, in this study, suspected cases of luteal deficiency (six pregnancies from five bitches) were supplemented with oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), allowing measurement of endogenous progesterone using conventional assay.

Distribution and viability of spermatozoa in the canine female genital tract during post-ovulatory oocyte maturation.

Background: Unlike other domestic mammals, in which metaphase-II oocytes are ovulated, canine ovulation is characterized by the release of primary oocytes, which may take 12 to up to 36 hours. Further 60 hours are needed for maturation to secondary oocytes which then remain fertile for about 48 hours. Oestrus takes 7 to 10 days on average and may start as early as a week before ovulation.

[Clinical signs, diagnostic approach and therapy for the so-called ovarian remnant syndrome in the bitch].

The ovarian remnant syndrome arises as a consequence of incomplete ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy. Remnant ovarian tissue which has been left mostly unintentionally in the bitch may show endocrine activity a few weeks to several years after surgery, provoking a variety of clinical signs. The majority of affected bitches return to heat, in other cases signs of pseudopregnancy and endometritis may be observed.

Apoptosis in the uterotubal junction and oviductal isthmus during the estrous cycle of the bitch.

Apoptotic cells were evaluated in the lamina epithelialis (LE) and lamina propria (LP) of the canine uterotubal junction and oviductal isthmus by means of the TUNEL assay and Caspase-3 detection regarding cyclic changes. Oviducts of bitches in anestrus, early and late follicular phase, 2 and 4 days after ovulation, mid-luteal phase, and endometrial reparation were available. The rate of apoptosis was generally low (min = 0; max = 33 apoptotic cells in 500 cells).

Effects of short-term hyper- and hypoprolactinaemia on hormones of the pituitary, gonad and -thyroid axis and on semen quality in male Beagles.

Effects of a short-term hyper- and hypoprolactinaemia on serum concentrations of LH, testosterone and semen quality in six male Beagles were investigated. Blood samples were collected at 3-day intervals for 12 weeks. The time span was divided into five 3-week periods: pre-treatment, metoclopramide (MCP) treatment (0.

Concentrations of prolactin, LH, testosterone, TSH and thyroxine in normospermic dogs of different breeds.

Concentrations of prolactin (PRL), LH, testosterone (T), TSH and thyroxine (T(4)) were determined before and at 20, 120 and 180 min after a single iv injection of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in eight Beagles, eight Fox Terriers, six Labrador Retrievers and five Great Danes that were normospermic. Mean basal PRL concentrations were lower in the Fox Terriers compared with the Great Danes (p < 0.05).

Effects of gonadectomy on prolactin and LH secretion and the pituitary-thyroid axis in male dogs.

The effects of gonadectomy on the secretion of prolactin, LH, TSH, and thyroxine were investigated. Blood serum hormone concentrations were analysed before and at 20, 120, and 180min after a single iv TRH injection in each of eight healthy intact and castrated male beagle dogs before (control) and after 4-week treatment with the dopamine-2 receptor agonist cabergoline. Under control conditions the mean prolactin, TSH, and thyroxine concentrations were similar in intact and gonadectomised dogs, and administration of TRH provoked a significant (p<0.