Floozy Mares and Sexy Geldings. What sex hormones might mean to your horse

Transcription

1 Floozy Mares and Sexy Geldings What sex hormones might mean to your horse

2 What is a hormone? A chemical messenger that directs various cells to perform their various functions

3 Insulin Thyroid Hormone Cortisol Estrogen Progesterone Testosterone Growth Hormone EPO Familiar Examples

4 A SEXY FAMILY TREE

5 Where do sex hormones come from? In The Non-Pregnant Mare The ovaries Progesterone Estrogen Tiny amount testosterone The adrenal gland small amounts of progesterone and testosterone The Testis In The Stallion Testosterone Estrogen The adrenal gland small amounts of progesterone and testosterone

6 MARES CAN BE AMAZING

7 Does your mare ever look like this?

8 Or this?

9 OR THIS!!

10 Does she terrorize her buddies?

11 She s ALWAYS in heat!!!

12 What you may be observing Cranky Affectionate? Easily Distracted Squatting Urinating Frequently Lifting her tail Seem uncomfortable?

13 Hallmark of True Estrus Behavior CYCLICAL!

14 Clues Keep a calendar next to her stall Mare to mare variation in behavior Hormonal therapy works on her! Altrenogest (e.g. regumate) shuts down estrus completely

15 But XYZ worked so well!

16 XYZ Depo-Provera Progesterone implants Supplements B vitamins Raspberry Leaf Valerian Root?

17 So it is hormonal. Embrace it! - geldings are boring! Altrenogest - works Marebles - may extend times between Breed her! - old timey solution may backfire! Spay her permanent you better be sure Vaccine???? - innovative option in Australia

18 Marebles

19 So, OK she isn t in heat all the time Dominance/submissive behavior More studies needed to understand this Uterine infection Bladder stones or cystitis Lameness/back pain Ulcers

20 My sweet mare is striking, biting and mounting!!! Granulosa Cell Tumors -benign tumors of the ovary -usually one side -other side does not cycle -excessive testosterone

21 What you may be seeing She used to act like this Now she acts like this

22 Diagnosis Diagnosis Treatment Symptoms Stallion like behavior Not cycling normally Ultrasound Honey-comb appearance? One larger ovary One tiny ovary Lab work

23 Great News! Will take one season following surgery the other ovary should begin cycling normally Then you can go back to dealing with her normal personality!

24 The Boys Is yours delightful? Or.

25 Cryptorchids

26 Testosterone can do crazy stuff

27 What are you observing? Does your gentleman do this? Or this?

28 What are you observing? Is he generally like this? This look more familiar?

29 He may just have a girl friend Or..

30 Developmental Process Usually descends before or within 2 weeks of birth Anecdotal evidence that it can descend without treatment by 2-3 yrs of age

31 Hallmarks Behavioral One or no obvious testical Under skin but very high and small Inside inguinal canal abdominal

32 Cryptorchid factoids Abdominal testis does not produce sperm but does produce testosterone at high levels Behavior often more pronounced than normal stallions Rarely but possibly bilateral In some lines of stallions appears to be hereditary Considered un-ethical to breed uni-lateral cryptorchids (these guys are fertile)

33 Cryptorchid factoids The retained testicle is always smaller Can be the left or right

34 Diagnosis External palpation by veterinarian Ultrasound external and internal Blood tests for testosterone and possibly estrogen

35 Cryptorchid Treatments

36 Your old guy a bit rowdy???? -Sexy Gelding Syndrome -Excess production of hormones from the pituitary -Increase testosterone made by the adrenal glands -usually seen with other obvious signs of Cushing s Disease

37 Random Hormone Topics

38 Random Hormone Topics Progesterone given to stallions to reduce sexual behavior May decrease testosterone? Progesterones given to all sexes to quiet them Anecdotal-no scientific evidence Estrone (form of estrogen) sometimes given to horses with sticky stifles thought to relax the ligaments?

39 QUESTIONS??