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Formål: Dette studie har haft til formål at undersøge, hvilken indflydelse neutralisation har på adfærd hos hanhunde og tæver. Der er fokuseret på 1) kønsspecifik adfærd, 2) aktivitets/ energiniveau, 3) ivrighed for social interaktion med andre hunde, 4) lydighed og trænbarhed afspejlet i graden af koncentrationsbesvær under træning, 5) nervøsitet og/eller frygtsomhed, 6) problemer med at være alene hjemme og separationsangst, og 7) aggressiv adfærd. Design: Litteraturreview og retrospektiv observationel spørgeskemaundersøgelse. Metode: Spørgeskemaundersøgelsen har undersøgt hyppigheden og graden af postoperative adfærdsændringer hos danske hunde af begge køn, som er kirurgisk neutraliseret i 2019-2020. 115 besvarelser fra ejere af neutraliserede hanhunde og 193 besvarelser fra ejere af neutraliserede tæver blev indsamlet i foråret 2021. Databehandling indebar tabulering og beregning af relative frekvenser. Resultater for dette studie er sammenholdt med litteratur fremsøgt ved bloksøgning og kædesøgning på sundhedsvidenskabelige databaser. Resultater: Adfærd var angivet som hovedårsag til neutralisation hos henholdsvis 60% af hanhundene og 19% af tæverne. Efter neutralisation sås en adfærdsændring hos 90% af hanhundene og 81% af tæverne. Kønsspecifik adfærd reduceredes hos 78-95% af hanhundene og >50-90% af tæverne. Foruden aggression, sås der for anden adfærd, som ikke er kønsspecifik, en reducering hos 45-85% af hanhundene og 35-52% af tæverne, mens en øgning sås hos 5-30% af hanhundene og 3-20% af tæverne, som udviste adfærden inden neutralisation. I øvrigt sås nyopstået ikke-kønsspecifik adfærd hos 1-8% af hanhundene og < 12% af tæverne. Inden for de forskellige typer af aggressiv adfærd sås en reducering hos < 75-100% af hundene af begge køn, som udviste aggression inden neutralisation, mens en øgning sås hos < 26-29%. Nyopstået aggression sås hos < 10% af hundene af begge køn. Konklusion: Ifølge dette og tidligere studier har neutralisation en i, Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how neutering influences the behaviour of both female and male dogs. This study focuses on 1) gender-specific behaviour, 2) level of activity/energy, 3) eagerness to socially interact with other dogs, 4) obedience and trainability reflected as concentration difficulties during training, 5) nervousness and/or fearfulness, 6) distress when home alone and separation anxiety, and 7) aggressive behaviour. Design: Literature review and retrospective observational questionnaire-based study. Method: The questionnaire examines the degree of post-operative behavioural changes of danish dogs of both genders, who have been surgically neutralised in 2019-2020. 115 survey responses from owners of neutered male dogs and 193 responses from owners of neutered bitches were collected in the spring of 2021. Data processing involves tabulation and calculation of relative frequencies. Results from this study are compared to literature found by systematic literature search and chain search on databases in health and medical sciences. Results: Behaviour was the owner’s main reason to neuter for 60% of the male dogs and 19% of the bitches. A change in behaviour after neutering was seen in 90% of the male dogs and 81% of the bitches. Gender-specific behaviour was reduced in 78-95% of the male dogs and >50-90% of the bitches. Besides aggression, other behaviour not depending on gender was reduced in 45-85% of the male dogs and 35-52% of the bitches, while an increase was seen in 5-30% of the males and 3-20% of the bitches, who expressed the behaviour before neutering. Moreover, after neutering 1-8% of the male dogs and <12% of the bitches developed other behaviour not depending on gender. Different types of aggression was reduced in < 75-100% of the dogs, who showed aggression before neutering, while an increase was seen in <26-29% of the dogs. Newly developed aggression was seen in <10% of the dogs of both genders. Conclusion

Advanced animal models, such as minipigs, are needed for the development of a globally requested human Chlamydia vaccine. Previous studies have shown that vaginal inoculation of sexually mature Göttingen minipigs with Chlamydia trachomatis resulted in an infection lasting only 3–5 days. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of targeting the upper porcine genital tract by transcervical and transabdominal intrauterine inoculation, compared to previously performed vaginal inoculation. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of the hormonal cycle, estrus vs. diestrus, on the establishment of a C. trachomatis infection in the minipig. Targeting the upper genital tract (transcervical inoculation) resulted in a longer lasting infection (at least 7 days) compared to vaginal inoculation (3–5 days). When comparing intrauterine inoculation during estrus and diestrus, inoculation during diestrus resulted in a longer lasting infection (at least 10 days) compared to estrus (3–5 days). Furthermore, we found a significant C. trachomatis specific IFN-γ response in pigs inoculated during estrus correlating with the accelerated clearance of infection in these pigs. These findings suggest that for implementation of an optimal model of C. trachomatis in minipigs, inoculation should bypass the cervix and preferable be performed during diestrus., Advanced animal models, such as minipigs, are needed for the development of a globally requested human Chlamydia vaccine. Previous studies have shown that vaginal inoculation of sexually mature Göttingen minipigs with Chlamydia trachomatis resulted in an infection lasting only 3–5 days. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of targeting the upper porcine genital tract by transcervical and transabdominal intrauterine inoculation, compared to previously performed vaginal inoculation. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of the hormonal cycle, estrus vs. diestrus, on the establishment of a C. trachomatis infection in the minipig. Targeting the upper genital tract (transcervical inoculation) resulted in a longer lasting infection (at least 7 days) compared to vaginal inoculation (3–5 days). When comparing intrauterine inoculation during estrus and diestrus, inoculation during diestrus resulted in a longer lasting infection (at least 10 days) compared to estrus (3–5 days). Furthermore, we found a significant C. trachomatis specific IFN-γ response in pigs inoculated during estrus correlating with the accelerated clearance of infection in these pigs. These findings suggest that for implementation of an optimal model of C. trachomatis in minipigs, inoculation should bypass the cervix and preferable be performed during diestrus.

Aglepristone is an antiprogestin that acts as a full progesterone receptor antagonist and therefore administration induces abolition of progesterone effects. Although the on-labelindication is termination of pregnancy in bitches up to 45 days after mating/LH peak only, there are various other off-label indications where its use has been successfully described. These include termination of pregnancy in queens and rabbits, induction of parturition in bitches, medical treatment of pyometra in bitches, queens, hamsters and guinea pigs and treatment of fibroadenomatosis. Additionally successful use has been described for gestagen-dependent insulin resistant diabetes mellitus, acromegaly in bitches, size reduction of benign canine vaginal tumours and reduction of proliferation of progesterone-receptor expressing mammary carcinomas. This review aims to give an update on possibilities and indicates limitations of the described use.

This review aimed to summarize the present knowledge about the effects of GnRH agonist slow-release implants (GnRH A-SRI) on fertility and behaviour in male and female dogs and cats with special focus on deslorelin. Following an initial stimulation of gonadotropin and testosterone secretion possibly associated with an improved semen quality, GnRH A-SRI induce long-term depression of fertility in male dogs and cats with, however, a large individual variation in onset and duration of efficacy especially in cats. The GnRH A-SRI furthermore interfere with testosterone-dependent/affected behaviour; a significant positive effect in reducing sexual behaviour and libido, hypersexuality, intermale dominance and excessive territorial urine marking has been described. Rates of improvement of the respective behaviour are comparable to those after surgical castration, making GnRH A-SRI a valuable option to predict castration-related effects on behaviour and to identify animals where surgical castration will not be beneficial. No effect has been seen in reducing aggression towards humans indicating the need for behavioural therapy to control this problem. Effects on spermatogenesis, steroidogenesis and behaviour have by now been shown to be fully reversible. Knowledge in females is more limited, and particularly, the initial induction of a possibly fertile oestrus and individual variation in duration of efficacy remain problems in bitches and queens treated for suppression of fertility. However, long-term suppression of oestrous cycle and fertility seems to be possible with induced effects shown to be reversible including restoration of normal fertility after the end of efficacy/GNRH A-SRI removal.

Membrane vesicles (MV) have been identified in seminal plasma from various species and they are thought to have a significant impact on semen quality and fertilisation. Although recently presence of MV has been also described in the canine ejaculate, detailed knowledge on their morphology is missing by now. This is, however, needed to provide a basis for detailed biochemical and functional studies as it is generally assumed that different MV populations are responsible for distinct tasks. MV were prepared for light (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis using samples from normospermic dogs (n=15), hypokinozoospermic dogs (n=2, h) and one castrated azoospermic dog (a). For TEM, a new preparation protocol was used resulting in a higher MV retrieval rate. Using fractionated semen samples, most MV were identified in the second (sperm-rich) fraction in LM. Using pooled ejaculates, three different MV types could be identified in LM: (1) large MV with a marginal accumulation of opaque, granulated material, (2) medium- to small size MV with dense, opaque content and (3) small MV with no further defined contents. No direct contact between sperm and MV could be visualised. In TEM, 11 different MV types were identified based on diameter, structure, contents and electron density of contents as well as presence, number and size of smaller MV inside the MV itself. In normospermic males, secondary vesicles (type i, H, K1/2) included smaller vesicles and had a weighted mean diameter of 409.46nm; hereof types i, H and K1 were smaller (mean: 287.55nm, range: 51.25-994.86nm) and type K2 was larger (mean: 1746.43nm, range: 1003.66-3289.34nm). Primary vesicles (mean diameter: 135.29nm) - without vesicles inside - were differentiated into larger MV (A, B, C1/2) with a mean diameter of 219.63nm (range: 39.08-1300.13nm) and small primary MV (F, G) with a mean diameter of 66.12nm (range: 24.62-99.84nm). Whereas all mentioned MV were round to oval and mostly double-, rar

Surgical castration is done in male pet rabbits for reproduction control, to reduce inter-male aggression and to control hyper-sexuality, territory marking and aggression against humans. Alternatives to surgical castration are requested because of a relatively great anaesthetic risk in rabbits. Long-term application of a GnRH agonist implant results in a fully reversible "hormonal" castration in male dogs, cats, boars and many other species. Therefore, the present study using New Zealand White hybrid and German Giant rabbits aimed to investigate the effects of a 4.7mg deslorelin implant in peripubertal male rabbits (SG; n=10), as a mean of hormonal castration. Blood samples (for testosterone measurements), body weight and testicular volume were taken on days (D) 0, 14 and 90. Surgical castration was performed on D90 for testicular histology. Age-matched animals following the same protocol without implant administration served as adult controls (n=5, CG), animals castrated on D0 served as juvenile controls (n=7, JG). Following treatment, testosterone concentrations were not reduced compared to CG; basal testosterone concentrations were only measured in JG. Spermatogenesis was not affected in SG and not different from CG. Application of a slow release GnRH agonist implant does not induce hormonal castration in male rabbits over a period of 90 days indicating that it is not a suitable alternative to surgical castration in this species.

Cows that do not return to oestrus upon artificial insemination, but are retrospectively diagnosed as non-pregnant, have been termed ”phantom cows”, as there is no visible indication that they have not conceived to insemination. These non-pregnant, non-returning cows are a particular problem in dairy herds operating under the limitations of a seasonal breeding regime, such as in New Zealand. Phantom cows are most often identified following the conclusion of mating, making it too late to achieve pregnancy within the desired mating period. This contributes largely to economic losses in herds operating under traditional seasonal calving systems. A major cause of this phenomenon has not yet been determined. Previous research has established, that up to 75% of phantom cows have a functional corpus luteum (CL) at the time of identification. The aim of the present thesis was consequently to establish clinical findings in affected animals, and to investigate the response to exogenous administration of prostaglandin F2α in affected animals with a CL. Four dairy herds from the Canterbury-region of New Zealand were enrolled in the study. Inseminated, non-returning cows underwent ultrasonographic pregnancy examination prior to the end of the mating period. Identified phantom cows were treated with a single injection of a commercially available PGF2α-analogue and observed for a return to oestrus. A final pregnancy examination was performed at the end of mating to investigate pregnancy status of those animals included in the trial. Corpora lutea were diagnosed in 66% of identified phantom cows using transrectal ultrasonography. Twenty four (n = 24) CL-positive animals were treated with a single injection 2 ml Ovuprost® IM and observed for signs of oestrus. A total of 58% displayed oestrus within 2-4 days. Foetal ageing established, that 29% of these conceived to induced ovulation. Average milk production was significantly different between identif

Contents: Cats are animals with highly efficient reproduction, clearly pointing to a need for suppression of fertility. Although surgical contraception is highly effective, it is not always the method of choice. This is predominantly because it is cost-intensive, time-consuming and irreversible, with the latter being of major importance for cat breeders. This article reviews the use of progestins, scleroting agents, immunocontraception, melatonin, GnRH antagonists and finally, GnRH agonists, in adult male and female cats in detail, according to the present state of the art. By now, various scientific and clinical options are available for the suppression of fertility in adult cats and the decision as to which should be chosen - independent of the legal registration of any state - depends on different facts: (i) feral or privately owned animal? (ii) temporary or permanent suppression of fertility wanted/needed? (iii) sex of the animal? New effective and available methods for hormonal contraception include melatonin implants for short-term post ponement of oestrus in adult queens and slow-release GnRH-agonist implants containing deslorelin (Suprelorin®) for short- and long-term contraception in male and female companion and breeding cats.