Ferret vasectomy

RE: Ferret vasectomy

Beats — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:03:34 GMT

Histopath for anyone else learning from this:

"RIGHT: The samples showed changes compatible with cross-sections through the vas deferens with typical epithelium and surrounding smooth muscle.

LEFT: Two sections from each of the submitted samples were evaluated. The samples consisted of fragmented portions of skeletal muscle, with no recognisable vas deferens represented.

DIAGNOSIS: Unilateral vasectomy (RIGHT)

COMMENTS: The sections from the samples removed from the left did not contain recognisable vas deferens"

The left sample had been a bit squished and stretched in getting it on to a microscope slide, and then had dried on to it a bit before being picked off into formalin, while the right had been handled more delicately.

The labelling of the samples was done in an OCD fashion in case had to go back and take a testicle (glad I didn't put them both in the same pot!)

Seems a no-brainer to go and remove LEFT testicle at this point - correct?

RE: Ferret vasectomy

Beats — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 14:00:46 GMT

Thanks Mark. most helpful. I'll send for histopath as probably is the stringy ligamentous thing - I hadn't known about it. Many thanks.

RE: Ferret vasectomy

Mark Naguib — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 12:42:53 GMT

You're welcome. Apologies - it was not my intention to concern you.

In my experience, there is a stringy ligamentous structure that is associated with the pampiniform plexus and testicular artery - I think that might be what you have. Grossly it can look similar but the main difference with the naked eye/magnification is that there is no tiny blood vessel on each side. I would add the disclaimer that I am most definitely not a pathologist and histopathology would be best.

Here is a gross picture but the blood and reflection from the flash have rendered it fairly useless. It has more substance to it than the ligamentous thing on the other side. If this were a better photograph, the blood vessel on each side of the ductus would be visible.

RE: Ferret vasectomy

Beats — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 12:11:52 GMT

Thanks, Mark, that's great advice.

Concerningly, mine doesn't look remotely like yours, nor Vicki's... perhaps I should send it for histopathology...

But I'm confident it wasn't the pampiniform plexus, and don't think it was artery (I guess if removed testicular artery would notice some problems with testicles in subsequent days?), so presumably the only other structure to remove is ductus? Or is there something else other than artery that can be confused with this?

RE: Ferret vasectomy

Mark Naguib — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 11:19:09 GMT

Hi Beats,

In my experience, the tissues are usually identifiable under light microscopy without staining and I always do this intraoperatively. It takes 30 seconds and if you have experienced nurses they can do it for you.

With good light and magnification, the duct can often be identified in situ by the presence of the tiny deferential artery and vein which flank it on either side. These should be well away from the testicular artery and pampiniform plexus if you gently spread out the contents of the tunic.

Place the cut section under a cover slip with a drop of warm saline. Under the microscope, the ductus should have a lighter appearance and should be convoluted, flanked on either side by the tiny deferential artery and vein. If you perform your vasectomies Dec - Feb (which is strongly recommended) you can often (but not always) see the motile sperm spilling out from the cut end. You'll usually also see red blood cells spilling out the vessel on each side of the ductus at the cut end.

Apologies - i have video of this somewhere but can't find it and this is not my best photo - just the first one I found. Sorry about the air bubbles at the top of the image!

Vicki Baldrey has a good article with photos here: https://doi.org/10.12968/coan.2017.22.4.233

RE: Ferret vasectomy

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 19:33:10 GMT

I've kept them in case of accidental mating or recanalisation, to show I did indeed remove the tubes. But I suppose it still depends on the integrity of the vet ... afterall, there's no way to prove the tubes belong to any particular ferret.

RE: Ferret vasectomy

bob lehner — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 17:26:55 GMT

Yes - Agree with Gillian - milk out the bit of tubing and look for sperm. I'm never quite sure about keeping the tissue 'just in case' there is a future issue . Clearly it's a bit too late at that stage if there has been an error. People doing ram vasectomies often seem to keep a bit for future reference - but surely it's wiser to ascertain at the time that you've done it correctly? In the case of rams a mistake could lead to big financial consequences.

RE: Ferret vasectomy

Gillian Mostyn — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 14:09:09 GMT

If I was to check under the microscope I'd normally milk it out first and look for sperm. I don't know if the tissues themselves are identifiable? If I needed the tissue definitively identifying I'd need to send it for histopath.

These days I just keep the pieces in a histopath pot for a few months, mainly just for evidence in case of future issues.