Bovine Pregnancy Diagnosis Flashcards
Why do we preg check cows?
ID open cow and allows for treatment
Allow culling of non productive cows
Help ID embryonic loss
** economics**
How much does an open beef/dairy cow cost?
Beef 300-400$/year
Dairy 3$/da
Veterinary costs 120/hour or 3-4$/head
When can trans-rectal palpation be used to determine pregnancy.?
30days of gestation to term
What are the 4 cardinal signs of pregnancy?
Fetal membrane slip
Amniotic vesicle
Placentomes
Fetus
What is the earliest sign of pregnancy and can be palpated for how many days?
Fetal membrane slip 30-90days
When is the amniotic vesicle first palpable?
32-35 days
Is difficult to palpate after 55-60days
What makes up the placentome?
Maternal caruncles and fetal cotyledons
When are placentomes usually palpable?
80days
Size of placentomes can be used to guage gestation length, where is the size most consistent?
Cranial to cervix at level of bifurcation
When is the fetus first palpable ?
55-65days gestation
How long does descent of the fetus take?
From 70-150 gestation
What are supportive signs of pregnancy?
Asymmetry of the uterine horns
Thinning and tone of uterine wall
Fixation of cervix
Fremitus of middle uterine artery —> increased blood flow
Presence of CL
Where is the middle uterine artery found?
Broad ligament (movable)
When is estimating age of the fetus most accurate?
1st half of gestation
Use diameter of pregnant horn and vesicle
Later in gestation, what can you use to estimate the age of a fetus?
Diameter of placentomes
Size of fetus
Middle uterine artery diameter
Crown-rump length
Hazards of palpation?
Rectal perforation
Rupture of amniotic vesicle or fetal heart sac
Aggressive membrane slip may terminate the pregnancy via PGF2a release
How early can ultrasound diagnose pregnancy?
24days
Fetal gender can be determine at 55-80days
What other tests for pregnancy can be used in cattle besides ultrasound and rectal palpation?
Bovine pregnancy specific protein B -secreted by trophoblastic cells (30days after breeding)
Progesterone - test blood or milk, can give many false positives (better to look for open cows)
Estrone Sulfate — product of placenta (useful after 100days of gestation)
