Lecture 2 Flashcards
Why do we preg test (things of the ideal pregnancy test)
- Economical
- Simple
- Rapid
- Has high sensitivity and specificity
- Low negative prediction value
- Enables early detection
- Distinguishes between live and dead foals
- Determines stage of gestation
- Avoid having to handle animals
Purpose of pregnancy diagnosis
- Detect non-pregnant animals
- Determine stage of pregnancy to facilitate management or certification for sale
- Analyse, benchmark and document reproductive performance
How diagnosis of pregnancy is usually done in domestic animals
- Observation
- Lab tests
- Rectal palpitation
- Electronic methods
- Abdominal ballottement
What to look at in the observation phase
Signs of oestrus - if the cow is back in oestrus, she is not pregnant
What may cause some false positives in the observation phase
- Prolonged luteal phase
- Early embryonic loss
- Pseudopregnancy
- Anoestrus
- Abortion after formation of endometrial cups
- Failure to detect oestrus
What may cause some false negatives in the observation phase
- Pregnant animals exhibit behavioural signs of oestrus
In the observation stage: what are some external indicators
- Non-specific indicators of pregnancy
- Change in size and shape of abdomen
- Foetal movement
- Enlargement of mammary glands
- Enlargement and softening of vulva
What do rub marks indicate
The cow has been in heat and is unlikely to be pregnant
What do lab test look for with a pregnancy
- Progesterone
- Oestrone sulphate
- Pregnancy specific protein B-secreted by binucleate trophoblast (placental) cells
When testing for progesterone what do you use and what do you look for
Test milk or plasma at time of expected return to oestrus
NON-SPECIFIC INDICATOR of pregnancy
A test for non-pregnancy: low concentration indicative of non-pregnancy
18-24 days post ovulation, high con. indicated functional CL
When testing for progesterone what is a false positive
Persistent CL function, embryonic death
What is oestrone sulphate produced by
Foetal-placental unit
What does a positive test for oestrone indicate
A viable foetal-placental unit, so it can be used as a test for foetal viability
What cells produce pregnancy associated glycoproteins
Trophoblastic cells of the chorion/trophectoderm of the placenta
When do pregnancy associated glycoproteins enter the maternal blood stream
Around the time the conceptus becomes closely associated with the uterine lining during placentae formation
How to test for pregnancy associated glycoproteins
ELISA
How many days on can the ELISA detect pregnancy associated glycoproteins
28 days in
What test are available for pregnancy associated glycoproteins
Serum and milk
What can cause false positives when testing for pregnancy associated glycoproteins
Early embryonic loss and foetal death
Cows <60 days postpartum may produce false positive results due to residual protein from the previous pregnancy
What is abdominal ballotteement
Vigorous ballottement of right lateral and ventral abdominal wall to detect a foetus