Reproductive health management for camels

Reproductive health management in
camels: a guide for undergraduate
students
Prof. G.N Purohit
MVSC, PhD, MNVAS
Dean Post Graduate Studies RAJUVAS &
University Head, Dept. Veterinary (Gynecology & Obstetrics)
College of Veterinary & Animal Science, RAJUVAS, Bikaner,
Rajasthan, India.
Email: gnpobs@gmail.com

• Camels are kept for milk production in Africa and Asia.
• The global camel population is estimated at 35 million.
• In sub-Saharan Africa, camels contribute about 5 percent
of total milk production.
• Somalia is by far the largest camel milk producer in the
world, followed by Kenya and Mali.
• Camels are raised in Gulf countries for racing events
• In the Indian Sub-continent camels are raised for
agriculture, transport and a source of milk
ProfGovindNarayanPurohit
Prof GN Purohit – Non-Commercial, and Educational – Content collected from different sources Not Permitted for replication and Commercial Purposes

RAJASTHAN
2012- 3.26 lakhs
2019- 2.13 lakhs
34.69%
GUJARAT
2012- 30,000
2019- 28,000
HARYANA
2012- 19,000
2019- 5000
CAMEL POPULATION IS ON DECLINE
In India it has declined from 4 lakh in 2012 to just 2.5 lakh in 2019

South American camelids
ProfGovindNarayanPurohit alpaca
guanaco
vicuña
llama

Breeding seasons
Location Breeding season
Egypt Dec – May
India Nov – March
Pakistan Dec – March
Kenya Continuous
Somalia May – June, Oct - Dec
Saudi Arabia Dec – March
Sudan March – Aug
United Arab Emirates Nov - April

Reproductive anatomy of female
camels: Camel ovaries
Dorsoventrally
flattened in adults
Slightly convex in
camel heifers
Suspended by mesovarium
and enclosed in ovarian
bursa and located on pelvis
or just ahead
Weight 2-5 g
Length 2.5-6 cm
ovarian bursa
Pr.of GN Purohit – Non-Commercial, Educational and Confidential - Content Not Permitted for Commercial Purposes

• Bicornuate
• T or Y shaped
Left uterine horn
longer
• Present at the
brim of pelvic
cavity
• Left horn longer
in pluriparous
females but of
equal size in
primipara
Uterus

CERVIX
Cervix is soft with
3 or 4
longitudinal folds
Consistency of
cervix does not
differ with that of
the uterus
Cervix projects
caudally in the
vaginal cavity
forming a fornix (1-
1.5 cm)
The external cervical
orifice is surrounded by
1-2 circular indented
rings of the cranial part
of the mucosa of the
vagina
Tibary and Anouassi 1997)

Oviduct
• Long and tortuous
• Uterine end (Isthmus is
well developed)
Gianluca et al., 2014
• 17-22 cm long
Srikandakumar et al., 2003
Gianluca et al., 2014

Vagina
The vagina is Long 30 cm and have 2 vestibular
glands on the lateral walls
Vagina has many longitudinal folds
The anterior vagina and the vestibulum are
separated by a strong band of tissue
(vestibulum sphincter muscle) and the
hymen which is very tight in young and
nulliparous females.

The Vulva
• The vulva opens directly below the
anus and measures 6 - 7 cm in
length.
• The clitoris is very small and there is
no distinct clitoral fossa.
• The urethra is also short and the
opening of the urinary meatus is
small.
• The hymen, or its remnants, mark
the separation between the vulva
and the vagina.

Reproductive Physiology of female camels
• Estrus cycle is difficult to be defined in
camels
• Cervical mucous is scanty and less
viscous and other signs of estrus are less
marked

Camels are seasonally polyestrus
• Puberty 4-5 years around 400 Kg weight-
females

Follicular dynamics
Follicular growth
occurs during the
breeding season

Follicular dynamics
•Follicular growth is
continuous during the
breeding season and in the
absence of mating

Ovulation
depends on
mating
No Luteal
phase in non
mated
camels
In mated non-
pregnant
camels the
luteal phase is
short 6-9 days

• Follicular activity continues in the presence of an
active CL
• Follicular recruitment 2-4 days, growth 10-12 days and
dominance at 6mm (Skidmore et al., 1996)
• Minimum Follicle size to ovulate 9-10 mm

Fate of dominant follicle
in the absence of
mating is anovulatory
follicle
Hemorrhagic
follicle
May persist for many days
or regress in 4-18 days
Follicular growth can
occur in presence of a
anovulatory follicle
Tibary and Annouassi 1997
Tibary and Annouassi 1997

Mated camels

Chasing other
females
Receptivity
towards a
male
Restlessness,
bleating
Up and down movement
of tail on approach of
male.
Reproductive behavior in camels

Mammary
glands

Mating in camels (6-12 min) (NRC on Camel)
Pareek and Vyas, 1982

Mating induced (Marie and Anouassi, 1987)
Ovulation 24-30 h later if size
of follicle is between 8-20 mm
(Skidmore et al., 1996)
Ovulation
Large anovulatory follicles (25-90
mm) may sometimes not ovulate in
response to mating

Follicles grow to ovulatory size in 6 days
(Skidmore et al., 1996)

Cyclic CL absent in non-mated
camels (Tibary and Anouassi,
1997)
CL formation occurs 24-48 h after
mating, with slow development
and early death (6-9 days)
Regression occurs 8-12 days
following infertile mating
(Tibary and Anouassi, 1997)
(Tibary and Anouassi, 1997)

Embryo descends in uterus at Day 6-7
of mating
Embryo elongates at Day 9-10
Maternal recognition of pregnancy – Little
is known Probably the signal must be
secreted by Day 8 (Skidmore, 2005)

Migration of embryos Day 15-18 post
breeding
Implantation not known clearly possibly
occurs by Day 20
Mechanism of luteolysis poorly known
(Skidmore, 2005). Difference in the luteolytic
properties of PG from left and right uterine
horns (Tibary and Annouassi, 1997)

Pregnancy and its diagnosis
• Gestation period 390 ±10 days (NRCC)
• Pregnancy diagnosis can be done by transrectal palpation,
transrectal ultrasonography, and visual observations of cocking
of the tail.
• Plasma progesterone assay

Pregnancy diagnosis
A pregnant camel will show it
by lifting and curving her tail
(Tail “cocking”) when a male
camel advances toward her.
First seen at 20 days of
gestation and persists

Abdominal size increase

Transrectal palpation
• Sitting
• Examination of camels
• Xylazine 0.5-2.0 mg/Kg IV
• Loss of lower lip tone

Transrectal Ultrasonography

Ultrasonography
On day 10, embryo elongated about 4 mm in length, on day 12 elongated to 20 mm in length.
At 35 days of pregnancy, the fetus can be scanned and extremities can be seen.
The heart beats registers earlier (22nd day).

• Exclusive left uterine horn
pregnancy
• Twins rare
• Extra fetal membrane- Epidermal
membrane 1-2 mm thick attached to
fetus at lips, nostrils, anus, vulva,
prepuce, foot pad and umbilicus (Tibary
and Anouassi, 1997).

Fraternal
Dromedary
twins 1999
JCPR

Anatomy of reproductive organs of Male
CAMELS Testis and scrotum
Scrotum lies
high in the
perineal region
Testicles are oval
in shape and lie
obliquely Rt
Testicle length 7-
10 cm weight 90
gm
Right testicle
smaller.

Penis
Camel has a pre-scrotal sigmoid flexure
Penis is fibro-elastic and about 60 cm long
It is directed backwards when flaccid
Spiralled glans penis is curved giving it a hook shape
Externally the penis is covered by a triangular shaped sheath,
the prepuce, which opens to the rear.

• Externally the penis is covered by a triangular shaped
sheath, the prepuce, which opens to the rear.
• The male camel urinates towards the rear between the hind
legs

Due to presence of well developed lateral preputial muscle, in
addition to the cranial and caudal muscles the preputial orifice can
be directed either cranially or caudally during erection and
micturition

• Male camels have prostrate
glands and bulbourethral glands
but seminal vesicles are absent.

Reproductive (Rutting) behavior of male camels
• Sniffing
• Flehmen
• Grinding of teeth/whistling
• Gurgling sounds
• Urinating
• Opened hind legs
• Tail flapping/beating
• Poll gland secretion
• Soft palate (Dulaa)
extrusion
• Loss of weight
Prof GN Purohit – Non-Commercial, and Educational –
Content collected from different sources Not Permitted
for replication and Commercial Purposes
During the breeding season male camels evidence special
behavior called the rut. Male camels become somewhat
aggressive during the breeding season

• Reproductive biotechnologies - AI and ET are being
utilized extensively to improve the production
characteristics of various domestic animal species.
• these techniques are not well developed and thus are not
being used as routine breeding procedures in camels.
Why ?

Reproduction in Camel is Unique
1. Seasonal breeder
Short breeding season 3-4 months coinciding with short days
Male- more pronounced

2. Induced Ovulator
• Camel is induced ovulator,
• Ovulation is induced by copulation
lack of clear estrous cycle
• hormonal treatment to induce ovulation and control the
follicular cycles using GnRH is inconsistent.

3. Gel in semen
• Ejaculated semen is gelatinous
• making it difficult to evaluate
• process for preservation for future use

Artificial Insemination in Camel
• Semen collection in sitting position tried using different
methods, AV (with different liners), electro-ejaculation, female
camel or artificial dummy for mounting.
• Artificial Vagina with rubber liners similar to bull, mounting
over female camel in sitting position – better result.

Semen collection in Camel

GEL IN SEMEN

Camel semen extension
• Liquid semen (5 0C)
TYC was better than lactose, PBS , citrate buffer
Successful inseminations (using 3-5000 IU hCG)
Pregnancies achieved
• Cryopreservation
TYCG - good post thaw motility
No pregnancy

Embryo transfer in Camel

Arab World
• Yagil et al
• Skidmore et al.
• Mckinnon et al. (Tinson)
• Anouassi et al
• Wani et al.
• Nagy et al.
India
• Vyas et al

Superovulatory Protocol
Donors under induced Luteal phase
Day 0: hCG 3000 i.u.
Day 6/8: FSH-P (10 doses)
or Super-OV (8 doses)
Mating: 36, 48 & 60 h after last FSH
Recipients
Day 13/14: hCG 3000 i.u.

Non-Surgical Embryo Flushing
Day 7 or 8 after first mating
Sitting posture on inclined plane
18-gauge, 63 cm, flexible two-way Foley balloon cathetor
(equine)
Both horns were flushed simultaneously
1700-1800 ml DPBS
EmCon embryo filter, stereozoom microscope.

• Embryo Transfer
Sitting posture
Same day fresh using ET Gun (IMV)
Guided with hands/finger through annular folds of cervix
Left horn deposition

Common Reproductive Disorders in
Dromedary Camels

Prevalence rate (%)No. of camels found
infected
No. of camels examined
Reproductive disorder
17.4556321Repeat breeding
12.4561490Uterine prolapse
9.2956603Dystocia
9.0522243Early embryonic death
9.0249543Abortion
3.7117458Retained placenta
3.813342Uterine torsion
2.639342Recto-vaginal fistula
5.234654Udder edema
5.822378Vaginal prolapse
7.753394374Total
Prevalence of common various reproductive disorders in camels
Al-Juboori and Mohammed. 2012. Studies on common reproductive disorders in dromedary camels
(Camelus dromedarius) in UAE under field conditions. Proceeding of the 3rd ISOCARD, Muscat, Oman.

INFERTILITY

Vaginal affections
• Persistent hymen, vulvar atresia and vaginal adhesions
• Second most common problem with poor prognosis
• Bleeding at mating is the usual complaint
• Surgical correction with proper instruments is possible
• Vaginitis and vaginal tumors are rare

Ovarian abnormalities (cysts, tumors, hydro-bursitis)
• Ovarian cysts
• Create confusion with
pregnancy

Hydrobursitis is the common
problem
Chlamydophila abortus and E Coli
Surgical removal by flank
laparotomy is suggested if the
condition is unilateral
Post-operative fertility is 40-50%

Uterine and cervical affections
• Cervical/Uterine congenital malformations rare
• Cervicitis associated with metritis/endometritis
• Metritis/endometritis
• Clinical endometritis is the commonest
• Uterine lavage/infusion of antibiotics/lotagen
• Pyometra/mucometra have been recorded in camels

Abortions in camels
• Trypanosoma evansi

Difficult births in camels CS CAMEL

Cause of
dystocia
Parity Status of
fetus
Sex of Calf Time of
presentation
since onset
Corrective
measure
Complication
Deviation of
Head and
neck
III Dead M 36 h Cesarean
section
NIL
Deviation of
the head and
neck with
fetal
emphysema
III Dead F 48 h Partial
Fetotomy
and Forced
extraction
Death 2 h after
delivery
Uterine
torsion
II Dead M 48 h Cesarean Edema at
operative site
Fetal monster V Dead M 48 h Cesarean Abdominal
hernia
Deviation of
Head and
neck
IV Dead M 72 h Cesarean
after
attempting
fetotomy
Death 5 days
post operative
Limb flexion
with fetal
emphysema
III Dead F 24 h Partial
fetotomy
Nil
Limb flexion II Live F 8 h Manual Nil
Pelvic
fracture
I Dead M 48 h Cesarean Nil
Limb flexion II Live M 12 h Manual Nil
Limb flexion
with fetal
emphysema
VI Dead F 36 h Cesarean Nil
Limb flexion
with fetal
emphysema
IV Dead M 48h Partial
fetotomy
Severe uterine
bleeding
Incomplete
cervical
dilation
III Live F 4 h Medical Nil
Limb flexion I Live M 10 h Manual Nil
Deviation of
Head and
neck
IV Dead M 36 h Partial
fetotomy
NIL
Causes of dystocia in camelsProfGovindNarayanPurohit

CS CAMEL

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Reproductive health management for camels

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