OVARIAN AND TESTICULAR FUNCTION IN THE DOMESTIC CAT - CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF SPONTANEOUS REPRODUCTIVE DISEASE

Vaginal cornification and/or serum progesterone concentration may be u sed as indicators of follicular and luteal function in the cat in diag nosis of estrus, induced or spontaneous ovulation, ovarian remnant syn drome, and prolonged gestation, Feline sperm may be collected by elect roejaculation, ejaculation into an artificial vagina, cystocentesis of the male following ejaculation or by vaginal wash of the bred female. Normal feline seminal plasma contains high concentrations of alkaline phosphatase, and may contain more than 10000 colony forming units (CF U) ml(-1) bacteria, most of which are normal preputial flora, Serum te stosterone concentration, often undetectable (less than 0.02 ng ml(-1) ) in the normal male, increases 1 h after gonadotropin-releasing hormo ne (GnRH) or 4 h after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administrati on in the tom. Presence of penile spines is an indicator of testicular tissue or testosterone administration. Gonadectomy performed at 7 wee ks or 7 months of age in male and female cats is associated with incre ased length of long bones due to delayed physeal closure, decreased he at production, and increased risk of obesity, and not with decrease in urethral diameter. Normal penile extrusion was not possible in 6/6 ma le cats neutered at 7 weeks of age or 2/5 male cats neutered at 7 mont hs of age, owing to persistence of the balanopreputial fold, which nor mally undergoes dissolution under the influence of androgens.