Bruce William Christensen
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Bruce Christensen
DVM, MS, DACT
Assistant Professor, Theriogenology
Veterinary Clinical Sciences
(515) 294-1500
2464 Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center
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Expertise / Research Area
Dr. Christensen specializes in Theriogenology (veterinary clinical fertility and reproduction). Clinically he works with horses and dogs. His research interests focus on captive breeding programs of endangered species.
Teaching
VDPAM/VCS 450—Disturbances of Reproduction: General principles of diseases causing disturbances in reproduction. This is a Junior-level course. Dr. Christensen teaches half of the canine lectures and all of the equine lectures.
VCS 471 E--Equine Clinical Theriogenology: Senior clinical rotation focused on fertility and infertility of horses. Students assist clinicians in managing client-owned animals presenting for routine breeding management, pregnancy management, infertility investigations, and foaling. Semen is collected regularly from stallions both standing for the season at ISU or brought in on an outpatient bases. The semen may be frozen or chilled for shipment to mares elsewhere. A teaching herd of mares is maintained to act as embryo recipients and students learn palpation and ultrasound skills on these mares. Dr. Christensen serves as a clinician and takes primary responsibility for the university breeding herd, the embryo transfer service, and referrals from local veterinarians.
VCS 471S—Small Animal Clinical Theriogenology:Elective clinical assignment in canine reproduction; client-owned dogs are brought in for fertility investigations and routine breeding management. ISU works closely with Iowa greyhound breeders and these dogs comprise a large part of our caseload. Dr. Christensen offers back-up support for Dr. Kauffman on this rotation.
VCS 447--Equine Clinical Skills: Equine-track students train in routine clinical skills that equine general practitioners use on a regular basis, such as passing nasogastric tubes, colic palpation, transrectal evaluation of the reproductive tract with palpation and ultrasound, neurological evaluations, abdominocentesis, dental evaluations, lameness evaluations, ocular examinations, taking radiographs of the distal limbs, thoracic and abdominal ultrasound evaluation, etc. The course is taught jointly with clinicians from medicine, surgery, radiology, ophthalmology, and theriogenology. Dr. Christensen serves as course coordinator and theriogenology instructor.
Education
D.V.M.: Cornell University, 2002
M.S.: University of Florida, 2007
B.S.: Brigham Young University, 1998
Diplomate, American College of Theriogenologists, 2006
Selected Publications
Christensen BW, Troedsson MHT, Young LJ, Oliva M, Penfold LM. Effects of sociosexual environment on serum testosterone in captive male African rhinoceros. Theriogenology 2009, 71(7):1105-11.
Christensen BW, Troedsson MHT, Oliva M, Young LJ, Penfold LM. Effects of age and season on serum testosterone of captive male African rhinoceros. (In prep).
Christensen BW, Asa CS, Wang C, VanSandt L, Bauman K, Callahan M, Ellinwood NM, Jens JK. Effect of semen collection method on sperm motility of gray wolves (Canis lupus) and domestic dogs (C. l. familiaris). Theriogenology 2011.
Christensen BW, Ernst N, Powe JR, Pozor MA, Milton AJ, Reinhard MK. Theriogenology Question of the Month: Bilateral seminoma in a stallion. JAVMA 2007 231(4):531-534.
Christensen BW, Troedsson MHT, RobertS JF, Pozor MA, Eichelberger AC. Theriogenology Question of the Month: High-risk equine pregnancy with vaginal varicose vein hemorrhage and norcardiogorm placentitis. JAVMA 2006, 228 (10):1507-1510.
Christensen BW, Roberts JF, Giguere S, Sells SF, Donahue JM. Nocardioform placentitis with isolation of AmycolatopsisI sp. in a Florida-bred mare. JAVMA 2006 228(8): 1234-1239
Christensen BW, Troedson MHT, Murchie TA, Pozor MA, Macpherson ML, Estrada AH, Carrillo NA, Mackay RJ, Roberts GD, Langlois, J. Management of hydrous amnion in a Thoroughbred mare resulting in successful foaling. JAVMA 2006, 225 (8):1228-1233.
Book Chapters
Troedsson MHT, Christensen BW. Alterations in Sexual Function. In Large Animal Medicine. BP Smith (ed). St Louis, MO. Mosby. 2008
Troedsson MHT, Christensen BW. Diseases of the Reproductive System. In Large Animal Medicine. BP Smith (ed). St Louis, MO. Mosby. 2008
Christensen BW. Estrogens. In Equine Reproduction. AO McKinnon (ed). Blackwell Publishing Limited. 2011.
Christensen BW. Parturition. In Equine Reproduction. AO McKinnon (ed). Blackwell Publishing Limited. 2011.
Christensen BW and Meyers-Wallen VN. Sexual Determination and Differentiation. In Equine Reproduction. AO McKinnon (ed). Blackwell Publishing Limited. 2011.
Abstracts
Christensen BW, Wang C, Penfold LM. Developing a cooled semen protocol for captive breeding of Somali wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis). 7th Biennial Meeting of the Association for Applied Animal Andrology, August 28-29, 2010, Sydney, Australia, 2010.
Christensen BW, Wang C, Citino S, Penfold LM. Developing a cooled semen protocol for captive breeding of okapi (Okapia johnstoni). 7th Biennial Meeting of the Association for Applied Animal Andrology, August 28-29, 2010, Sydney, Australia, 2010.
Christensen BW, Bauman K, Junge R, VanSant L, Lorton S, Wang C, Asa CS. Semen cryopreservation and transcervical insemination in the Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi). Annual meeting of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, October 23-29, 2010, South Padre Island, Texas, 2010.
Leadership
Course coordinator for VCS 447: Equine Clinical Skills
Honors & Awards
ISU SCAVMA Teaching Excellence Award in Clinical Sciences. 2008-09.
Memberships
American College of Theriogenologists
Society of Theriogenology
American Association of Equine Practitioners
American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
Society for Conservation Biology
American Veterinary Medical Association
Iowa Veterinary Medical Association
American Association for the Advancement of Science
National Audubon Society
