Treatment of ovarian cysts in sows – a field trial

Abstract

Different procedures of treatment of large follicular ovarian cysts in 177 sows using GnRH, hCG and PGF2α are evaluated in this study. Ovarian cysts were diagnosed by transcutaneous ultrasonography, which was a part of routine pregnancy diagnosis. No treatment was performed in the control group (Group 1, <i>n</i> = 29); the method of treatment used in the other groups immediately after the diagnosis was intramuscular administration of lecirelin in doses 50 µg (Group 2, <i>n</i> = 28), 100 µg (Group 3, <i>n</i> = 27) and 200 µg divided into 2 equal doses administered at a 12-hour interval (Group 4, <i>n<i> = 25) and of hCG in doses 1 500 IU (Group 5, <i>n</i> = 23), 3 000 IU (Group 6, <i>n</i> = 21), and 250 µg of cloprostenol (Group 7, <i>n</i> = 24). Insemination rate (IR), conception rate (CR) in inseminated sows, pregnancy rate (PR = recovery rate), treatment-insemination interval (TII) and treatment-pregnancy interval (TPI) within 42 days after the initial examination were evaluated. In addition PR in groups of sows divided according to parity (1–3, 4–6 and ≥ 7) were also evaluated. IR and PR were higher in Group 4 (84.0% and 44.0%) and lower in Group 1 (17.2% and 6.9%) in comparison with the other groups (<i>P</i> < 0.001 and <i>P</i> < 0.05). CR, TII and TPI did not differ between the experimental groups. PR were similar in sows with different parity. The study proved a positive response in sows with large follicular ovarian cysts to the treatment consisting of 2 administrations of 100 µg GnRH at a 12-hour interval.