Lecture 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What is the purpose of pregnancy diagnosis in the mare

A
  1. To confirm pregnancy
  2. Distinguish between single and multiple conceptus
  3. Detect early embryonic death and manage a return to oestrus where early embryonic death is recorded
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2
Q

What are the methods of pregnancy diagnosis in the mare

A
  • Behavioural assessment
  • Lab tests
  • Rectal palpation
  • Ultrasonogrpahy
  • Abdominal ballottement
  • Oberservation - udder, change in shape of abdomen
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3
Q

What does behavioural assessment indicate

A
  • Non-specific indicator of pregnancy

- Mares normally return to oestrus 16-20 days post ovulation

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4
Q

What does failure to return to oestrus indicate

A

Pregnancy

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5
Q

Behavioural assessment: false positive

A

Persistent luteal function, early embryonic death, failure to show signs of oestrus, anoestrus

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6
Q

Behavioural assessment: false negatives

A

Some pregnant mares can show behavioural signs of oestrus

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7
Q

What is a tease negative

A

Tease out - mare is visibly resistant to stallion

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8
Q

What is tease neutral

A

Passive - mare is indifferent/passive in presence of stallion

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9
Q

What is tease positive

A

Tease in - mare is interested in stallion; may urinate; wink vulva, squat, lean into stallion

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10
Q

What is the vaginal speculum examination

A

Examination of cervix 18-21 days after ovulation. It is non-specific indicator of pregnancy

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11
Q

What does a high, dry, tight and white cervix suggest

A

Dioestrus

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12
Q

What is progesterone produced by

A

CL

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13
Q

What do you collect with lab test and when

A

Test milk or plasma at time of expected return to oestrus

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14
Q

What do high concentrations indicate of progesterone

A

Presence of CL

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15
Q

How do you get a false negative with lab tests

A

Persistent CL function, embryonic death

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16
Q

When is equine chorionic gonadotrophin first produced by

A

Endometrial cups from days 36-40 of gestation

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17
Q

How long is equine chorionic gonadotrophin secreted for

A

up to 120 days of gestation

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18
Q

When do chorionic girdle cells develop around

A

25 days of gestation

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19
Q

When can cells from the chorionic girdle invade the endometrium

A

35 days

20
Q

eCG - how you get a false positive

A

Foetal death occurs after endometrial cups have formed

21
Q

eCG - how you get a false negative

A

Testing outside of the range of normal time for eCG production - sample taken too early

22
Q

Explain Oestrgens of horse

A

Concentrations rise after day 60, peak at by 180 to 240 and then decline until parturition

23
Q

What do oestrogen’s produce

A

Foetal-placental unit

24
Q

What does a positive test of oestrogens indicate

A

Viable foetal-placental unit, so it can be test for foetal viability

25
Q

How can you measure oestrogens

A

Serum, faeces and urine

26
Q

What to test serum for

A

Oestrone sulphate

27
Q

What to test urine for

A

Cuboni test. May not be used by many labs

28
Q

What are the common times for pregnancy diagnosis

A

12-18: days after ovulation
24-30: detect normal growth rate, heartbeat, confirm single conceptus
45 - Confirm normal development
60 - Most pregnancy loss occurs before 60 so reconfirmation at or after Day 60 is advisable
120 - Conformation of pregnancy to enable management strategies to be developed

29
Q

What is required before performing a rectal palpation

A
  • Understanding of the breed
  • Owner consent
  • Good restraint
  • Remove all faecal material before beginning examination
30
Q

What technique is required for rectal palpation

A
  • Dont rush
  • Use lube
  • Place hand cranial to the structure to be palpated before moving caudally onto the structure
  • Do not palpate during peristaltic waves
  • If straining persists consider the use of a twitch, anticholinergic drug Propanthelene bromide (Propan B) or Buscopan IV or intarectal lignocaine infusion can facilitate rectal relaxation
31
Q

Rectal examination on horse: day 18-20

A

Increased tone, easier to palpate the outline of the uterus

  • Prominent, firm cervix, feels like a pencil
  • Transrectal ultrasound is needed to confirm diagnosis
32
Q

Rectal examination on horse: day 25-30

A
  • Prominent uterine tone and outline
  • Palpably elongated cervix
  • Small bulge palpated on ventral aspect of uterine horn close to bifurcation
  • Thinning of the uterine wall, milk fluctuation detected particularly on the ventral aspect of the bulge
  • False positive - large uterus with low tone
33
Q

Rectal examination on horse: day 35-40

A

Prominent uterine tine and outline
Palpably long cervix
Spherical bulge, tennis ball/lemon palpable at the base of uterine horn

34
Q

Rectal examination on horse: day 45-50

A

Increased uterine tone, prominent cervix, softball/grapefruit sized swelling at the base of uterine horn

35
Q

Rectal examination on horse: day 60-65

A

Progressive filling of uterus with fluid results in less tone
Bulge associated with pregnancy located closer to the body of the uterus
Size of rockmelon

36
Q

Rectal examination on horse: day 100-120

A

Bulge volleyball or basketball size
Need to trace swelling back to cervix or the ovaries to differentiate from fluid pilled bladder
Cranial margin of uterus cannot be felt
Ballottement of the foetus is sometimes possible

37
Q

Rectal examination on horse: day 150-210

A

Ovaries drawn into a more media-ventral location as the heavy, descending uterus pulls on the broad ligament
Cannot palpate the full extremities of the uterus due to larger size
Foetus usually palpable by ballottement

38
Q

Rectal examination on horse: day 240 - term

A

Foetus is easier to palpate but can be difficult to precisely age by palpation
Foetal dimensions e.g. eye socket diameter/circumference can be used to estimate age of foetus

39
Q

When doing rectal palpation what is the size to look for in the mare

A

28d - hens egg
35d- lemon
42d - orange
49d - softball/grape
56d - cantaloupe/rockmellon
by 90d - it is hard to delineate the cranial margin of uterus
Foetal ballottement per rectum becomes consistent after 150d

40
Q

List the advantages of transrectal ultrasonography

A
  • Early pregnancy diagnosis
  • Diagnosis of multiple foetuses - note that in mares if a twin is detected, early embryonic reduction of one twin is preferred due to <15% of twin pregnancies surviving to term and if they do, many surviving twins will be weak
  • Uterine pathology
  • Determine stages of gestation, foetal sex, foetal viability
  • Assess postpartum uterine involution
  • Ovarian cyclic status and ovulation rate
  • Stage of the oestrus cycle
    Ovarian pathology
41
Q

What is the aim of using an ultrasound to diagnose pregnancy at 14-16 days

A

Diagnose pregnancy and to detect twin pregnancies if present

42
Q

Why must the whole track be checked with an ultrasound at 14-16 days

A

Conceptuses are mobile

Twin pregnancies - wait for conceptuses to separate or separate conceptuses and crush smaller one

43
Q

Why must you use an ultrasound at 21-22 days pf pregnancy

A
  • Confirm pregnancy diagnosis and presence of a singleton

- Distinguish embryos form uterine cysts

44
Q

Why must you use an ultrasound at 24 days pf pregnancy

A
  • A heartbeat within the embryo becomes detectable

- Identification

45
Q

Why must you use an ultrasound at 35 days pf pregnancy

A

Confirm diagnosis, verify viability before endometrial cups are formed and eCG is produced

46
Q

What can endometrial cysts can be confused with

A

Early pregnancy

47
Q

What are the ultrasound land marks (size and shape of embryonic vesicle)

A

12-14d - spherical vesicle visible
16d vesicle fixation
20-21d embryo proper visible
24-26d - Heartbeat visible
28d embryo located at centre of vesicle
36d embryo located at the top of vesicle
47d embryo positioned near the bottom of the vesicle