Laparoscopic intrauterine artificial insemination and ultrasonic pregnancy diagnosis in Arabi ewes

Abstract

Laparoscopic intrauterine artificial insemination (LAI) refers to a special technique by which the operation is done through several small holes in the abdomen with the aid of telescope. These incisions are much smaller than wound required in traditional surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic artificial insemination. To increase the pregnancy and twins rate by using gonadotrophic releasing hormone (GNRH) and accurate pregnancy diagnosis in ewes by using ultrasonography, the present study was carried out in the animal farm college of veterinary medicine/Basrah University. Thisstudy started in 3rd August 2009 to 12th February 2010. This study included 9 ewes aged about 8 to 10 months and 2 rams aged between (9 to 11 months) and one of them was vasectomized. The rams were kept and separated from ewes for 2 weeks; at the beginning all ewes were checked for previous pregnancy by using of laparoscope. Injection of 0.00421 mg Buserelin hormone was given to induce estrus. The estrus ewes were prepared for surgical operations and made sedation by injection of Xylazine 0.11 to 0.22 mg/kg body weight (BW); and then 1 ml/cm2 of 2% of lidocaine was injected as local anesthesia. The animal was fixed on surgical table and then prepared for aseptic technique; afterwhich the ewes were inseminated laparoscopically by intra uterine injection of 0.25 ml of fresh ram semen. The results show the possibility of laparoscope as a technique used for artificial insemination in ewes in 71.4% of pregnancy rate. The laparoscopic insemination was successfully done in ewes without complication; there was no critical effect of intra-abdominal pressure (14 mmHg) by CO2 in small ruminants and pregnancy rate in ewes was successfully diagnosed by ultrasonography. Key words: Laparoscopic surgery, artificial insemination, ultra sonic, estrus, pregnant diagnos.