Understanding and managing age-related subfertility in the stallion

Abstract

Age-related or idiopathic testicular degeneration is a common cause of subfertility and infertility, particularly in middle aged and older stallions. This manuscript describes the problem of idiopathic testicular degeneration in the equine breeding industry and summarizes what is known about the pathophysiology of the disease. Additionally, the clinical signs of idiopathic testicular degeneration are reviewed so that the clinician can more quickly and accurately arrive at a diagnosis. The practitioner is provided with practical information on how to more effectively manage affected stallions and what, if anything, can be done to improve reproductive performance of these animals both in the field and in a referral setting. Finally, the findings of current research on the disease are presented with a discussion of potential future therapies.