Coital Injuries in Male Animals

Coital injuries in male animals refer to the physical trauma or pathological conditions affecting the genital organs—primarily the penis, prepuce, scrotum, and associated structures—during or following mating.

These injuries may result from improper mating posture, aggressive or uncooperative partners, anatomical abnormalities, or infections.

Balanitis and Posthitis

Balanitis and posthitis of a severe nature frequently leading to adhesion and inability to protrude the penis are occasionally observed in bull especially in young bull with great sexual desire first few weeks on pasture with cow or heifer.

Trauma and infection incurred by frequent service and contamination of sheath or by exposure to the IBR-IPV virus cow genital tract result in severe necrotic & pyogenic infection of penis & propuce.

Young ram may be similarly affected.

Injury or Trauma to Penis

In rare instances in stallion this may be due to mare kicking at the stallion and striking erect penis at the time of service.

This may cause hematoma, paraphimosis, laceration or rupture of penis. it is easily avoided by the proper supervision of breeding and by being certain that mare is definitely in the estrum.

If necessary breeding hobble should be used in nervous & excitable mare.

In the bull occasionally penis catches on the vulval lips in a hymenal remnant, beneath vulva or if bull thrust and penis is bent sharply at right angle by the cow suddenly collapsing, a rupture of  corpus cavernosum and tunica albuginea, usely on the dorsal surface of penis occur.

A haemotoma is thus produced. This is often spoken of as a ‘’fractured’’ ruptured or broken penis.

Hemorrhage from the Prepuce and Penis

Hemorrhage from the prepuce and penis following service may be caused by tumors of the penis or lacerations of the penis or prepuce.

In rare instance bleeding form the urethra may be observed in stallions and bulls.

Several affected boars that had a small vascular outgrowth or polyp in the urethra that caused blood to be mixed with semen at ejaculation.

In several bulls observed by the author irregular-shaped calculi have lodged in the urethra and caused bleeding at the time of service but for a while only slight or moderate symptoms of difficult urination were observed .

In young bulls there may occasionally be a small fistula in the glans penis extending into the corpus cavernosum.

On erection a fine stream of blood comes through the fistula. Some veterinarians have described the presence on the glans penis of blue-red raised areas or ulcers that rupture and bleed.

In artificial breeding, rubber bands from the artificial vagina may slip over the penis at the time the bull thrusts.

These usually cause deep lacerations or even amputation of all or part of the glans penis if they are not removed promptly.

Such and occurrence may be prevented by not using rubber bands on the artificial vagina, or by tying them with cord so they cannot slip off.

Occasionally persons trimming preputial hairs on bulls will snip off the tip of the penis if vare is not taken to hold the penis caudal to the preputial orifice.

Bloom reported that bleeding form the urethra in dogs is frequently a symptom of fracture of the os penis.

Tumors should be removed. Sexual rest should be give most animals with hemorrhage from the penis and prepuce. In case of urinary calculi the prognosis is often hopeless for future breeding.

When bleeding occurs from the corpus through fine fistula, sexual rest or surgery to close the defect are indicated.

Herpes Coital Exanthema

Herpes coital exanthema is a vesicular, then ulcerative veneral disease that causes genital discomfort and reluctance to breed in both sexes.

Secondary infection may complicate the condition occasionally but it usually heals. Spontaneously within 7-10 days.

Coital exanthema is caused by equine herpes virus-1.

Fracture of the Penis

Excessive bending can fracture an erect penis. Such bending may occur during vigorous sexual intercourse if the penis is pressed against the partner pelvic bone.

The fracture is actually a tear in one of the tube like structure in the penis (corpus cavernosum ) that hold the extra blood flow that maintain erection.

The animal as immediate pain and swelling, and the penis appears deformed.

The injury often damages the structure that controlled erection and after the injury heals the animal may have difficulty with intercourse, urination or both.

Emergency surgery is usually necessary to repair such fracture to prevent abnormal curvature of the penis or permanent erectile dysfunction.

Injury of the Scrotum and Testes

The location of the scrotum makes it susceptible to injury. Blunt forces (for example, a kick or crushing below) cause most injuries. 

At the time of coitus in the stallion may include kick injuries resulting in a ventral hernia, fracture of the hind limbs, or severe orchitis.

Breeding hobbles, tying up a front leg and a twitch applied to the mare may be indicated to prevent kicking.

In all breeds of animals, especially the larger ones, the footing of the male should be good and the female restrained properly to prevent the male’s slipping and falling, possibly causing gonitis, seen most commonly in the bull; dislocation of the hip; fractures of the limb or pelvis;  fractures of the spine; muscle or tendon strains or ruptures; as well as the harmful psychological effect on the male from falling or injuring himself during coitus.

Large females should not be bred naturally to small males unless restrained with their rear limbs or all four limbs in a hole or pit.

Occasionally inguinal hernia with strangulation of the intestine may follow service in stallions and cause severe colic within 1 to 3 hours.