Pregnancy Detection Flashcards by Courtney Smith

Why Detect Pregnancy?

Palpation of the reproductive tract (trans-rectal or abdominal)
Imaging of the reproductive tract (radiograph or ultrasound)
Measurement of hormone concentrations (blood or other fluids)

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Bovine Pregnancy Detection

Beef Cattle Herds

a Controlled breeding season - 60-90 days

A herd Assessment:
Goal: get a lot of cows pregnant and a lot of cows pregnant in the first 20 days of breeding
Determine success of proceeding breeding season
Provide diagnostic information
Identify open cows for alternate management

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Bovine Pregnancy Detection

Dairy Cattle Herds

Some dairies are seasonal - controlled 60-90 day breeding season similar to beef herds

Most dairies breed year-round
results in steady milk supply

Mostly an individual cow assessment
Determine dry-off date
Determine if cow should continue in breeding pool
assess herd breeding program

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Types of Pregnancy Tests - Bovine

Milk of blood progesterone assay

Milk progesterone values correlate with bood values

Remember the fluctuation of progesterone concentrations over an estrous cycle

Must know breeding date - and test at specific time after that breeding date

If progesterone is found to be low = not pregnant

If progesterone is found to be high = pregnant or in diestrus

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Types of Pregnancy Test - Bovine

PSPB - Pregnancy Specific Protien B

Can be detected as early as 25 days of gestation

Remians in blood for up to 3 months after parturition

How would you interpret a postive test on a cow with a calf-at-side 35 days after the start of the breeding season?
-False positve due to having calved less than 3 months ago

How would you interpret a positive test on a heifer 35 days after the start of the breeding season?
-True positve

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Types of Pregnancy Tests - Bovine

Early Conception Factor

Can be detected as early as 6 days of gestation

Although promoted by advertisements and anecdotal testimonials

Results of studies have shown unacceptable accuracy

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Types of Pregnancy Tests - Bovine

Detection of estrus

Why not just detect estrus and assume that cows not detected in estrus are pregnant?

becuase cows are polyesturs - takes lots of really well trained humans to watch the cows

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Types of Pregnancy Tests - Bovine

Ultrasonography

Routinely accurate at 28 days gestation

Can determine sex of fetus between 55-65 days gestation

Very difficult as fetus grows and uterus pulled over pelvis

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Types of Pregnancy Tests - Bovine

Uterine palpation per rectum

Routinely accurate by 35 days gestation

Fast and accurate with experience

Less information than ultrasound
Ovarian structures, fetal sex, fetal viability

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Uterine Palpation per Rectum

Landmarks

Pelvis - Bony

Cervix - Hard

Uterus is right in front of cervix - if you get lost - go back to cervix

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Uterine Palpation - Age determination

Simpy determining if a female is pregnant or not is not high-quality veterinary practice

The whole reason to do a post-breeding season reproductive examination is to estimate the age of the fetus

and Use that information to evaluate the breeding program and dx. problems

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Uterine Palpation - age determination

range in gestation

He is most comfortable determining fetal age from 35-100 days of gestation

For a herd with a desired 60 day calving season - can palpate the herd 95-100 days after the start of the breeding season

Leave bull in pasture until pregnancy check

If poor pregnancy success - leave bull in longer

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Determine Age of Gestation:

Fluid Volume

40 days - 75ml

60 days - 300ml

90 days - 1,000ml

120 days - 3,000ml

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Determine age of gestation

35 days

slight amount of fluid in uterus

able to “slip” fetal membranes

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Determine Age fo Gestation

40 days

Slightly more fluid than 35 days

uterine wall is thinning

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Determine Age of Gestation

60 days

Pregnant horn is size of banana

still able to hold entire tract in your hand

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Determine Age of Gestation

90 days

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can still reach around entire tract - but barely

Routinely “bump” the calf

Routinely feel placentomes

Determine Age of Gestation

120 days

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cannot reach around entire tract

Placentomes are promient - nickel - sized

Fremitus in mid-uterine artery on pregnant side

Confusing Structures for Uterine Palpation

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Bladder

Back of Rumen

Left Kidney

Gass Bubble in intestine

Pyometra

Lymphoma

Uterine involution (post calving)

Use of Ultrasound

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Used in many practices

Much better than palpation for examination of ovaries

Still a “snap-shot”

Cannot determine if sturcture is getting bigger or smaller

Use of Ultrasound

Pregnancy Diagnosis

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A little earlier preg diagnosis: 28 days vs. 35 days

Able to assess fetal viability

Able to determine sex

Little slower than palpation

“Wow” factor

Use of Ultrasound

sex determination

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Gentital tubercle is in noticeably different position by about 55 days of gestation
Located immediately caudal to umbilicus in male

Much past 70 days - difficult to consistently get right area of fetus on the screen

Use of Ultrasound

Embryo Transfer

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Identify recipients of CL

Follow follicular dynamics of donor cow - count CLs at flushing

Equine Pregnancy Detection

Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG)

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At 36-38 days of gestation, fetal chorionic tissue invades the endometrium and forms Endometrial cups- these cups secrete eCG

eCG acts to luteinize the normal follicular waves that are occurring and results in the formation of secondary CLs

eCG levels peak about day 60-80 of gestation

eCG assays will detect a high percentage of pregnancies by day 42

eCG remains elevated if the pregnancy is lost - therefore a non-pregnant mare can have high serum eCG values

Equine Pregnancy Detection Estrogens

The Cuboni test Fluorescence of urine due to estrogen Will accurately detect pregnancy by 100-150 days of gestation (pregnancy is also easily palpated per rectum by this time)

Equine Pregnancy Detection Estrone Sulfate

Present in serum, urine and even feces of the pregnant mare Because non-invasive samples can be used - this test is utilized for assessing wild equine reproduciton After day 44 of gestation, high estrone sulfate is associated with fetal viability

Equine Pregnancy Detection Early Pregnancy Factor (EPF)

Immunosuppressive protein secreted by the early embryo Detected as early as 24-72 hours afte rmating and remains elevated through the second trimester of gestaiton Poor test accuracy (43% sensitive / 52% specific)

Equine Pregnancy Detection Cervical Tone and Appearance

Progesterone form CLs peak at day 80-90 of gestation High evels of progesterone cause the cervix and uterus to have exaggerated tone

Equine Pregnancy Detection Uterine Palpation per rectum and trans rectal ultrasound

Chorionic vesicle is distinctly spherical Vesicle is palpable form day 18 to day 60-70 Vesicle is visible via ultrasound beginning about day 10 of pregnancy

Equine Pregnancy Detection Use of Ultrasound for fetal Sexing

Genital tubercle migrates toward the umbilicus in the male and the anus in the female Fetal sex is determined form day 59-68 of gestation

Canine Pregnancy Detection Abdominal Palpation

Start at the dorsal abdomen and move your hand downward and squeeze thumb and fingers together gently - slip the uterus between the thumb and fingers Day 21-31, the pregnancy can be palpated as small, firm, round vesicles Fetus count not possible Determining fetal viability is not possible Palpation may be difficult in large dogs, dogs that tense, and dogs with a log of mammary development day 31-50 vesicles loose their distinct round shape and are not palpable after day 50 puppies are palpable

Canine Pregnancy Detection Trans-abdominal ultrasound

Fetal vesicles are visible by day 18-20 past the LH peak as distinct, round, black sacs Fetal heartbeat and fetal movement are indication of fetal viability Ultrasound ismore accurate than palpation It is difficult to count fetuses

Canine Pregnancy Detection Radiographs

Fetal skeletons first seen 42-52 days after breeding - 44 to 47 days after LH peak After day 50 fetal skeletons can be counted

Canine Pregnancy Detection Relaxin - measured from blood sample

Detected by day 20-30 past LH peak Commercial kit is avialable

Porcine Pregnancy Detection Detection of return to estrus

Non-pregnancy sows should return to esturs 17-24 days after breeding Sows behavior should be evaluated in the presence of a boar False positive results are common (falsely identify a female as bred when she is not)

Porcine Pregnancy Detection A-mode ultrasound

use US waves to detect fluid-filled uterus Output: audible signal or a series of lights High accuracy at 30-75 days The number of false-negatives resutls increases after day 75

Porcine Pregnancy Detection Doppler Ultrasound

Detects movement such as fetal heart and pulsing umbilical / uterine arteries Output is an audible signal High accuracy after 30-34 days Risk of false-postive during proestrus or estrus

Porcine Pregnancy detection Real time ultrasound

expensive - so not used on small farms Able to detect pregnancy sooner thatn with A-mode or doppler The better the reproductive performance of a farm, the less advantages of using real-time US

Ovine Pregnancy Detection Real-time Ultrasound

Can detect pregnancy as assess fetal numbers as early as day 25 of gestation

Ovine Pregnancy Detection Pregnancy - specific Protein B

Can be detected as early as day 20 of gestation

Pregnancy Detection Flashcards

(40 cards)