REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM

The Reproductive Health Surveillance Program (RHSP) conducts pathology surveillance to identify risk factors for lesions in the reproductive tract of mammals including history of contraception,nulliparity or other management strategies. For this surveillance, we are requesting reproductive tracts from all male and female mammals treated with contraceptives as well as from non-contracepted individuals, so we can compare normal changes with lesions arising from contraceptive use. Pleasefill out the submission form as completely as possible, so the samples can be evaluated in the appropriate context.

Females: Intact, formalin-fixed reproductive tracts (uterus and ovaries plus mammary gland, if possible) obtained from necropsy or ovariohysterectomy. Make a small incision into the body of the uterus (for primates) or into each horn (for species with bicornuate uteri). Immerse tissue in buffered formalin for at least 72 hours (ratio of tissue to formalin = 1:10). For reproductive tracts that are too big to send whole see additional instructions on how to sample included at the end.

Males: Half of each testis (include cauda and head of epididymis) obtained at necropsy or castration.Send half of each testis, cut longitudinally pluscauda and head of epididymis. Immerse tissue in buffered formalin for at least 72 hours (ratio of tissue to formalin = 1:10).

Deslorelin-treated animals: IF possible also include a section of the pituitary.

For reproductive tracts that are too large to fix whole and ship (e.g., elephant, rhinoceros, etc), representative sections may be cut according to the protocol on the Wildlife Contraception Center website: link can also be found through

SHIPPING: On the day of shipping drain the formalin and wrap fixed tracts in formalin-soaked paper towels, enclose in a leak-proof plastic container and ship by ground US mail (overnight is not necessary) to:

Dr. Dalen Agnew

Attn: Histo Research

Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health

4125 Beaumont Rd.

Lansing, MI USA 48910-8104

Phone: 517-353-1683

REQUIRED INFORMATION To include: It is critical that you also provide the information requested on the enclosed form, so we can include your case in the RHSP archive. These valuable data allow us to assess the effects that age and parity, as well as duration and dose of the contraceptive treatment, can have on lesions.

Your institution’s contribution will be acknowledged in any publication that includes your submission. Please note that this is a research project and due to limited funding, pathology reports will not routinely be returned. If a pathology report is needed please contact Dr. Agnew directly.

Thank you in advance for sending cases to the RHSP. Your involvement is critical to our understanding of the effects of contraceptives on reproductive health in zoo mammals.

For questions, please contact us

Reproductive Health Surveillance Program

Dalen Agnew, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Anneke Moresco, DVM, PhD

The Reproductive Health Surveillance Program has been collecting reproductive tracts for over 25 years to determine the effects of different breeding management strategies, including various contraceptives. We can only provide answers if we have the samples. We urge you to contribute to this archive, as we do not know which questions might need answers in the future.

Note that we need tracts from:

  • All mammal species
  • Females and males
  • Contracepted or not
  • Any age

We need to develop an archive of baseline findings, as well as findings from animals that we contracept.

If an animal is spayed/ neutered or dies the reproductive tract can be added to the archive in one of several ways:

  1. Send whole tract to RHSP (address in submission form link below)
  2. No fee, no pathology report
  3. Need to fill out the MSU and the RHSP submission forms (links below)
  4. The reproductive tract is added to the RHSP
  1. Share tissues with RHSP
  2. Send one set to your pathologist, fee and report from him/ her
  3. Trim a separate set of samples for RHSP (see A)
  4. Send separate set to RHSP with RSHP submission form
  5. No additional cost or report from RHSP
  1. Send whole tract to Michigan State University, (
  2. Fee and report from DCPAH- MSU
  3. Need to fill out the MSU and the RHSP submission forms
  4. The reproductive tract is added to the RHSP
  1. Share slides and / or report with RHSP
  2. Send tissues to your pathologist
  3. Pay them and receive report from them
  4. Request they send a recut of the reproductive tissue to RHSP (may add a small amount to your cost, probably comparable to shipping an extra set to RHSP)
  5. Fill out RHSP submission form, email form to
  6. Optional: forward a pathology report from your pathologist

MSU submission form:

RHSP program, form link at the bottom

  1. If sending separate set to RHSP tissues submit the following samples
  2. Females
  3. For carnivores, lemurs, suids/ tayassuidae (bicornuate uteri)
  4. Two sections of each horn
  5. Half of each ovary
  6. Cervix / vagina if available
  7. Section of any lesions

  1. For primates (except lemurs), xenarthral, bats (simplex uteri)
  2. One longitudinal cross section that includes myometrium, endometrium, lumen, cervix
  3. Cross section of each ovary
  4. Section of any lesions
  1. For artiodactyla (except suids and tayasiudae), perissodactyls, proboscidae
  2. Ruminants, one section of each horn that includes caruncles and intercaruncular areas, one cross section of each ovary
  3. Perissodactyls, hippos, etc One full thickness section of each horn and one from the body, one cross section of each ovary
  4. Section of any lesions
  1. Marsupials
  2. One section of each horn as well as cross sections of multiple vagina
  3. One section of each ovary
  4. Section of any lesions
  1. Males
  2. One half of each testicle (include a section of epididymes)
  3. Prostate (necropsy)
  4. Penis (necropsy)

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM

If no information is available please indicate so in the spaces provided

Submitting Veterinarian______

Institution:______

E-mail ______Phone# (______)______

Species:______Sex: M F Body weight (kg):______

SB#______LocalID:______House Name:______

Date of birth:_DD / MMM / YYYY____ Date tract was obtained: DD / MMM / YYYY

Necropsy or surgery? ______Cause of death/ indication for OHE/ Castration______

Has this animal spent its entire reproductive life at your zoo? Y N

Was breeding ever attempted by management? Y N

If female, did she show signs of estrus while treated? Y N

Dates of parturition, if any pregnancies (for males, dates the sired litters were born)______

CONTRACEPTIVE HISTORY Never contracepted

If more space is needed, please use the back

Product
(if MGA, include imp ID #) / Quantity of Implants / Dose (g or mg) / Animal weight (kg) / Date implanted
or administered / Date removed
Ex: MGA (#1026) / 1 / 2g / 50 / 05 May 1999 / 5 May 2001
Ex: Deslorelin / 2 / 9.4mg / 50 / 05 May 2001 / ----

OTHER PROBLEMS THAT MAY HAVE AFFECTED REPRODUCTION? (use the back if needed)

Please send tissues and form to: Dr. Dalen Agnew

Attn: Histo Research; DiagnosticCenter for Population and Animal Health; 4125 Beaumont Rd.Lansing, MIUSA 48910-8104 Phone: 517-353-1683.

Questions:

Revised April 2015