Equine Pregnancy Dx Flashcards
1
Q
methods for pregancy dx in mare
A
- behavioral assessment
- vaginal speculum examination
- transrectal palpation**
- transrectal u/s**
- hormonal assays
2
Q
behavioral assessment
A
- receptive to mating: estrogen influence
- non-receptive: progesterone influence
- “insensitive indiactor” (non-specific indicator)
3
Q
vaginal speculum examination
A
- external cervix
- long, tight, pale, dry
-
indicator of progesterone
- cervix will be tightly closed
- insensitive indicator of pregnancy
4
Q
transrectal palpation
A
- useful at all stages of gestation (easy to make mistakes)
- rapid
- economical
5
Q
ultrasonographic diagnosis of pregnancy
A
- as early as 9 days post ovulation
- routinely at 14 days post ovulation
6
Q
hormone assays in pregnancy
A
-
progesterone
- 18-21 days after ovulation
- luteal tissue: pregnancy, persistent corpus luteum, embryonic death, etc
-
equine chorionic gonadotropin
- endometrial cups: 36-120 days of gestation (even if she loses pregnancy)
- present whether fetus survives or not
-
estrogens
- Feto-placenta until after day 60
- indicator of fetal viability
- minimally useful for pregnancy diagnosis (insensitive)
7
Q
pregnancy diagnosis day 14-18 (transrectal palpation)
A
-
Palpation
- good tone in tubular tract
- distinct uterine bifurcation
- active ovaries (follicles)
- tightly closed cervix
- false positives
8
Q
Pregnancy diagnosis Day 14-16 (u/s)
A
- embryonic vesicle(s)
- size (measure)
- shape: round
- #
9
Q
diagnosis of twins
A
- ultrasonographic exam
- day 14-16 gestation
- synchronous vs asynchronous ovulation (evaluate entire uterus)
- low survival rate
10
Q
management of equine twins in early pregnancy
A
- manual embryo crush
- best during the mobile phase (to day 16-17)
-
90% success rate
- vesicle location
- experience
11
Q
pregnancy day 17-18
A
- Day 17-18
- transrect u/s
- changing shape (triangular, guitar pick)
- slight uterine edema
- irregular shape
12
Q
Pregnancy Day 20-25 (transrectal/us)
A
- transrectal
- toned uterus
- narrow, elongated cervix
- preg rarely detected by palpation
- small bulge at base of one of uterine horns
- u/s
- guitar pick shape
- round/irreg
- embryo proper (day 21)
- embryonic heart beat (day 24)
- development of fetal membranes (allantois)
13
Q
pregnancy day 30 to 35
A
- transrectal palpation
- toned uterus
- narrow, elongated cervix
-
hen’s egg bulge
- base of uterine horn
- day 30
- u/s
- development fetal membranes
- regression of yolk sac
- dorsal migration of embryo
14
Q
early embryonic death (EED)
A
- 1/3 to 1/4 of gestations lost in the first 30 days
- hallmark: no embryonic heartbeat
15
Q
pregnancy day 35 to 40
A
- transrectal palpation
- good uterine tone
- narrow, elongated cervix
- tennis ball-shaped bulge
- u/s
- transition from embryo to fetus (organogenesis)
- formation and attachment of umbilical cord
- migration of fetus ventrally (half way down @ 40d)
16
Q
pregnancy day 45-50
A
- transrectal palpation
- good uterine tone
- narrowed, elongated cervix
- softball-shaped vesicle
- u/s
- elongation of umbilical cord
- further migration of fetus ventrally
17
Q
management of equine twins in late pregnancy
A
- > 40 day gestation
- occur after formation of endometrial cups (day 36)
- eCG
- persist after fetal death
- transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration
- day 20-45
- 20-50% success
- cranio-cervical dislocation
- day 60-110
- 60% success
- requires surgery (flank)
- transabdominal u/s guided cardiac injection
- day 110-150
- KCL or procain penicillin
- >50% success if in experienced hands
18
Q
pregnancy day 60 to 65
A
- transrectal palpation
- less tone in gravid horn
- non-gravid horn toned
- vesicle expands into uterine body
- child size football-shaped
19
Q
fetal sexing
A
- day 59-68 (65)
-
genital tubercle -> external genitalia
- migrates up under a tail in females
- migrates down towards umbilicus in males
- day 93
- u/s
- can ID hindlimbs/udders with teats (female)
- can ID hindlimbs/prepuse, testes (male)
20
Q
pregnancy day 75 to 120
A
- uterus pulled ventrally
- basketball shape
- differentiate from bladder
- palpate to cervix
- ovaries at midline
- difficult to image pregnancy transrectally
21
Q
pregnancy day 100 to 120
A
- huge flaccid tract
- ovaries no longer sublumbar
- gender identification at 100 days
22
Q
pregnancy day 150 to 200
A
- uterine descent complete
- fetal ballottment consistent
- transabdominal ultrasound approach best**
23
Q
ultrasound in late gestation
A
-
transrectal u/s
- placenta- integrity and thickness
- fetal orbit- staging fetal age
- fetal fluids- echogenicity
-
combined thickness of uterus and placenta (CTUP)
- thickened ascending placentitis (can see separation of allantois and uterus= abnormal)
- transabdominal u/s
- fetal heart rate
- fetal fluids
- placenta
24
Q
transrectal evaluation of placenta
A
- separation: ascending placentitis
25
Q
sensitive indicators of pregnancy
A
- transrectal ultrasound best
- transrectal palpation
26
Q
insensitive indicators of pregnancy
A
- behavior
- cervical changes
- hormonal assays
27
Q
Summary of Twin Reduction
A
- manual crush= most successful
- u/s guided aspiration of fetal fluids= low success rate
- craniocervical dislocation= requires surgery
- u/s guided fetal heart injection= requires expert experience
28
Q
Summary Monitoring Pregnancy
A
- early embryonic and fetal development
- diagnosis of twins
- diagnosis of EED
- staging preg
- determination of fetal gender
- late preg
- staging preg
- determination of fetal gender
- diagnosis placentitis
- determination of fetal viability
