The objectives of this study were to assess the cooling and freezing of donkey epididymal semen harvested immediately after castration (Experiment 1, n = 4) or after the shipment (24 or 48 h) of epididymides attached to testicles (Experiment 2, n = 14) or dissected apart (Experiment 3, n = 36). In each experiment, semen was frozen immediately (Non-Centrif) in an egg yolk-based semen extender (EY) or after processing through cushion-centrifugation (Centrif) while extended in a skim milk-based extender (SC). In all three experiments, cooled, pre-freeze, and post-thaw epididymal semen was assessed for total motility (TM), progressive motility (PM), plasma membrane integrity (PMI), and high mitochondrial membrane potential (HMMP). Data were analyzed with R using mixed models and Tukey’s test as posthoc. Results showed that the cooling of epididymal semen up to 24 h after harvesting did not affect motility parameters or plasma membrane integrity; furthermore, in Experiment 3, the post-thaw evaluation of both Centrif and Non-Centrif achieved similar TM and PM. Collectively, the post-thaw results revealed low motility parameters across groups; while, the PMI and HMMP did not reflect this trend, and the values remained high, suggesting that there was a lack of epididymal sperm activation with either centrifugation or extenders. In summary, freshly harvested and cooled-shipped and cooled semen had satisfactory semen parameters. Future studies need to address donkey epididymal semen fertility in mares and jennies.

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A 3-year female dog (intact primiparous) overweight Labrador Retriever was presented as an emergency (fever, lethargy, and anorexia)patient. Four days earlier, this dog had a dystocia (secondary uterine inertia with stillborn fetus) that was relieved via cesareansurgery. Disseminated intravascular coagulation panel indicated marked increases in D-dimers, increases in partial prothrombintime, and decreases in antithrombin III activity. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a severely mottled spleen with multifocalinfarction. Arterial blood gas analysis indicated increases in alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Pulmonary thromboembolism wassuspected. Based on the history (peripartum obesity and cesarean delivery) and clinical manifestation, it was hypothesized that thepregnancy-related hypercoagulable state and postpartum period led to the development of venous thromboembolism. To authors’knowledge, this is the first case report of a suspected thromboembolic disorder in a postcesarean dog.