Abstract
Background and Aim:Post-breeding treatment is the most common practice in the reproductive management of mares. Oxytocin, uterine lavage, and intrauterine (I/U) antibiotic are usually used as prophylactic therapy. This study aimed to determine the most efficient prophylactic treatment regimen among six treatment protocols applied during natural breeding of cyclic Arabian mares.Materials and Methods:The current study was conducted on cyclic Arabian mares that were subdivided into three age categories (n=968): Category I (5-10 years, n=380), Category II (11-15 years, n=361), and Category III (≥16 years, n=227). Six prophylactic treatments were applied after 4 h of breeding. According to the treatment regimen, treated mares (n=483) were divided into six treatment groups: A (n=80), treated with I/U antibiotic (1 g gentamicin); B (n=81), I/U lavage (normal saline 500 mL); C (n=83), intramuscular (I/M) oxytocin (10 IU); D (n=82), I/U antibiotic and I/M oxytocin; E (n=78), I/U lavage and I/M oxytocin; and F (n=79), I/U lavage with I/U antibiotic and I/M oxytocin. Non-treated mares were classified as controls (n=485). Ultrasonography was performed to monitor pregnant mares 30 and 60 days after mating, and mares were followed until foaling.Results:Pregnancy and foaling results reveals that in age Category I, treatment with oxytocin alone or oxytocin with I/U lavage showed the highest pregnancy and foaling rates (p<0.01). In age Category II, the highest pregnancy and foaling rates were observed in lavage treatment (p<0.01), whereas, in age Category III, the good pregnancy and foaling rates were monitored in treatment with oxytocin and I/U lavage (p<0.01).Conclusion:Treatment with systemic I/M oxytocin is ideal in early age group mares (5-10 years of age). However, irrespective of the age categories, all mares exhibited high pregnancy and foaling rates after treatment with systemic I/M oxytocin and I/U lavage with normal saline (0.9%) 4 h post-breeding.
Highlights
Bacteria and excessive amounts of sperms normally invade the endometrium of mares during natural breeding or insemination [1]
In age Category II, the highest pregnancy and foaling rates were observed in lavage treatment (p
Treatment with systemic I/M oxytocin is ideal in early age group mares (5-10 years of age)
Summary
Bacteria and excessive amounts of sperms normally invade the endometrium of mares during natural breeding or insemination [1]. As a normal physical process, fertile mares resolve this problem by pushing out bacteria and excessive spermatozoa from their endometrium through the vagina and vulva at 48 h after breeding. If mares fail in clearing the endometrium beyond the first 48 h, a pathological condition called persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) develops [2]. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. This study aimed to determine the most efficient prophylactic treatment regimen among six treatment protocols applied during natural breeding of cyclic Arabian mares
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