Embryo Production After Euthanasia
The sudden death of a mare can be devastating, both emotionally and financially. Post-mortem production of equine embryos offers a way to preserve a mare’s genetics and produce embryos even after her death.
We provide a range of solutions:
- Planned Euthanasia: This can be performed either at InnovumLab, at home with your own veterinarian, or with one of ours.
- Emergency Euthanasia: If euthanasia is urgent, your veterinarian can remove and properly pack the ovaries, which are then transported to InnovumLab by the fastest method possible.
Guidelines
Correct packing and shipping of the ovaries are crucial for a successful outcome. Please contact our lab as soon as possible to ensure we are fully prepared to receive the ovaries.
Ovaries are removed from the mare and should be shipped to InnovumLab by the fastest method possible. The recommended method to obtain the ovaries is to anesthetize the mare with xylazine and ketamine, remove the ovaries, and then perform euthanasia. Once removed, the ovaries should be placed in a plastic bag, either in normal saline or, if none is available, just in the bag. Do not refrigerate the ovaries.
- If transport time is less than 2 hours, ovaries should be kept around body temperature (32-37°C). This can be accomplished by placing them in a styrofoam container with a bag of saline or water at 37°C
- For transport times of 2 to 8 hours, ovaries should be cooled to room temperature. Ship in well-insulated Styrofoam box or thermo-container with room temperature coolant cans or bags of water at 20-24°C
- For transport times over 8 hours, ovaries should be cooled, but no lower than 12°C
For optimal results, ovaries should be received within six hours of the mare’s death or their removal from a live mare. Delays beyond this timeframe may reduce embryo development rates and increase the risk of pregnancy loss after embryo transfer.
Semen (fresh or frozen) from the desired stallion should arrive the day after the ovaries have been received, or you could you one of the stallions in our stock.
WHAT RESULTS CAN BE EXPECTED?
The maturation rate of post-mortem recovered oocytes is lower (around 50%), as are the embryo rates, which, based on our past experience, are around 20%.
These percentages may decrease if the mare is older, has been ill or debilitated, if the ovaries are delayed in arrival, or if they have not been properly packaged. Results can also vary depending on the quality of the sperm used in the procedure.
For more information and booking
Contact usYou are welcome to arrange a time to come and see us.