Final Lecture 5

Question 1

Direct methods of detecting pregnancy

Answer 1

Ballottement of fetus (transabdominally or per rectal palpation)
Palpation per rectum (membrane slip, amniotic vesicle, fetus, placentomes)
US of uterus

Question 2

Indirect methods of pregnancy detection

Answer 2

History (non return to estrus)
Physical changes in the cow
P4 changes in milk or blood
Palpation per rectum (asymmetry, fluctuance, fremitus)
Pregnancy specific proteins
Interferon tau stimulated genes

Question 3

Which will you feel first by palpating the rectum on a pregnant cow

Answer 3

Fetal membrane slip, then amniotic vesicle, then fetus, then placentomes

Question 4

Besides pregnancy, what could cause asymmetry in the uterine horns

Answer 4

Pyometra (most common in cows)
Hydrometra (most common in goats)
Mucometra

Question 5

When can you feel fluctuation?
Membrane slip?
Amniotic vesicle?
Fetus?
Placentomes?
Fremitus?

Answer 5

30 days
30 days
35-65 days
65 days
3 months
3.5 months

Question 6

What is fremitus

Answer 6

“Buzz” feeling on middle uterine artery

Question 7

Describe the size of the amniotic vesicle as gestation progresses

Answer 7

Day 30- half a finger
Day 40- 1 finger
Day 50- 3 fingers
Day 60- 4 fingers/ mouse
Day 90- rat
Day 120- small cat
Day 150- large cat
Day 180- beagle
Day 210- german shepherd

Question 8

Advantages of US

Answer 8

Diagnose open cows earlier
Less traumatic and less manipulation
Accurate recognition of ovarian structures
Accurate detection of gestational problems
Accurate detection of fetal death
Fetal sexing

Question 9

How to use P4 to detect pregnant cows

Answer 9

Good at detecting open cows (P4 will be low)

Not good at detecting pregnant cows because if P4 is elevated it could be from pregnancy or diestrus

Question 10

What produces pregnancy specific protein B or pregnancy associated glycoprotein and when

Answer 10

Trophoblasts starting on day 21 of gestation

Question 11

Pros and cons of PSPB and PAG

Answer 11

Good at detecting pregnancy as early as 30 days of gestation

Long half life (70 days post partum), so can’t use to test cows that are bred sooner than 90 days post partum or else will get remnants from previous pregnancy

Question 12

Interferon tau stimulated genes

Answer 12

Too expensive to use commericially

Question 13

What are some gestational problems in cows

Answer 13

Fetal mummification
Fetal maceration
Fetal dropsy
Uterine torsion
Prolapse uterus/vagina
Fetal anomalies