DISEASES DIAGNOSED IN THE EXTERN GENITAL ORGANS OF BULLS: RETROSPECTIVE STUDY (2007-2013)

Despite the importance of knowing epidemiological data on diseases that affect the external genitalia of bulls, few investigations have been conducted on the topic. This work aimed to conduct an epidemiological study of diseases diagnosed in the external genitalia of bulls in 215 farms distributed in the five mesoregions of the state of Goiás, Brazil, between 2007 and 2013. We verified that the largest number of cases were observed at southwestern region (64 %), followed by the northwestern region (18.5 %). We found that of the affected bulls, 156 (71.89 %) were Zebu, 47 (21.66%) taurine and 14 (6.45 %) were mixed breeds. Among the diseases, acropostite-phimosis was the more frequent, followed by fibropapiloma of the glans, prepuce abscess and penile fracture. The main risk factors were multifactorial aspects, including the morphological condition of the animals, environment, management and traumas. In many cases, the absence or insufficient number of trained veterinarians who work on the field was mentioned as one of the major bottlenecks for the realization of the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases, preventing premature disposal of the animals.