The ovarian characteristics of pregnant and non pregnant zebu cows (Bos taurus indicus) were studied. The ovaries were obtained in slaughterhouses, identified and divided into: group I, non pregnant animals (GI, n=43) and group II, pregnant animals (GII, n=43). The ovaries were measured and cut in their lenght for measuring and evaluation of the corpus luteum (CL) characteristics. For the GI the measures for the left ovary were 2.5 ± 0.70, 1.61 ± 0.32 and 1.22 ± 0.39cm, respectively for length, width and thickness, and 2.62 ± 0.54, 1.71 ± 0.36 and 1.21 ± 0.31cm for the right ovary. For the GII the measures for the left ovary were 2.78 ± 0.48, 1.80 ± 0.33 and 1.23 ± 0.35cm, respectively for length, width and thickness and 2.84 ± 0.50, 1.74 ± 0.45 and 1.21 ± 0.40cm for the right one. Both groups presented 51.2% of CL in the left ovary and 48.8% in the right one, with high incidence of CL enclosed and without cavity. The mean for the diameter of the CL was 1.59±0.32cm for GI e 1.82±0.35cm for GII. The results suggest the need to consider carefully the size of the ovary and the enclosed characteristics of the CL when performing gynecological examination of zebu cows via rectal palpation.
Bovine; zebu; ovary; corpus luteum
