Preventing seminal vesiculitis - Animal Health

There are many ways to prevent seminal vesiculitis, which is an

infection involving the most predominant secondary sex glands of the

breeding bull.

These are paired glands that sit on the floor of the pelvis and produce

most of the seminal fluid.

This fluid is mixed with semen on ejaculation. Varying degrees of

seminal vesiculitis are detected in between one and 10 percent of

breeding bulls when checked for breeding soundness.

Infection is related to several factors: onset of puberty; sexual

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aggressiveness, such as bulls riding one another; crowded housing and

young bulls on a high nutritional plane.

Young bulls housed together are often seen mounting one another and it

is believed the infection could ascend up the urinary tract.

I also believe the intense irritation to the region from mounting and

breeding one another contributes to the condition.

Concurrent diseases may result in infection developing from the

hematogenous, or blood-borne route. Pneumonia, kidney infection

(pyelonephritis), arthritis and other blood-borne infections may

localize in these glands.

Omphalophlebitis, also known as navel infection, may spread into the

blood stream or go up the umbilical vessels toward the urinary bladder.

This close approximation with the seminal vesiculitis may lead to

scarring and infection from direct contact.

The organism involved is often the same one seen in abscesses in

cattle, so is difficult to treat.

A congenital malformation of the duct system that doesn’t allow

adequate flow of seminal fluid on ejaculation may contribute to a few

of the cases, but these would be hard to differentiate from true

infectious causes.

Most cases of seminal vesiculitis demonstrate no visible signs. Cases

have to be advanced before you might see pain on urination, straining

or tail swishing.

The infection can descend to the rest of the reproductive tract,

causing the same infection in the testicles or epididymus, which

results in swelling and pain.

Almost all infections are detected when veterinarians perform breeding

soundness exams and semen evaluations. They initially detect them when

palpating the secondary sex glands. They will detect swelling and lack

of lobulation to the glands.

It is an excellent idea to have a veterinarian palpate the glands of

purebred bulls younger than one year of age. This may avoid selling

your client a potential dud bull.

Do this at the same time the bull’s testicles are measured.

In severe cases, pain on palpation with large abscesses will be

detected. Your vet can massage the area and collect a seminal sample to

check for evidence of pus. In some low-grade cases, no changes may be

noticed but the vet will detect pus cells in the semen sample when

examining it under a microscope.

Pus is detrimental to semen quality and several important decisions

need to be made about the severity of infection and prognosis for

recovery.

Infection in initial cases starts with enlargement, progressing to lack

of lobulation in the glands and finally to adhesions or scarring.

While older bulls should be culled immediately, many cases in young

bulls will clear up spontaneously with time.

Veterinarians may try antibiotics on young bulls. Several have proven

successful over the years, including erythromycin, sulfas and, more

recently, micotil and excenel.

A lengthy period of treatment is necessary. In severe cases in

extremely valuable yearling bulls, removal of the affected gland is

possible. Aggressive antibiotic treatment occurs both before and after

the operation. Cases must be carefully selected and are more favourable

when only one seminal vesicle is involved.

The majority of severe cases are shipped for slaughter.

It is important to note that veterinarians cannot pass a bull on semen

quality if pus is detected in the sample. Therefore, clinical cases

will need to be rechecked at a later date. Even though many yearlings

will clear up spontaneously, it is wise to leave one to two months

between rechecks. Infections that haven’t cleared by then are unlikely

to, and the bulls should be culled.

Preventive measures for purebred breeders start at birth. Measures to

prevent navel infections are important. When housing yearlings, give

them lots of space. Bulls should be pulled out if they are being ridden

excessively. A thorough semen evaluation should identify clinical cases

before they are sold.

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