Pregnancy diagnosis Flashcards
Why is early pregnancy diagnosis important?
- Can identify problems in male and female fertility early
- Assist with production system e.g. rebred/cull, management changes such as feeding
- Satisfaction for breeder/keeper
What, other than pregnancy, may cause to a non-return to oestrus?
- Mis-timing of observations
- pathological conditions e.g. persistent CL, luteal cysts
- Short oestrus intervals
- Pregnancy loss after maternal recognition of pregnancy
How does pregnancy loss after maternal recognition of pregnancy lead to non-return to cyclicity?
- Luteolysis prevented
- No second luteolysis window/luteo-placental shift of progesterone production has occured
- Progesterone will remain elevated
- Often lasts longer than normal pregnancy as there is no stimulation of post-parturient lutolysis
Give some diferences in pseudopregnancies in different species
- Can be normal after every luteal phase )e.g. itch)
- Induced ovulators may occur in non-pregnant luteal phase (sterile mating)
- In some only after pregnancy lost (e.g. mare)
- In some spontaneously or following pregnancy loss
Describe pregnancy loss in the mare between days 1 and 5
- Lost while still in oviduct
- Returns to normal oestrus cycle as thorugh never pregnant
Describe pregnancy loss in mare between days 5 and 15
- No MRP
- Normal oestrus cycle resumes unless associated with uterine inflammation or short cycle
Describe type I pseudopregnancy in the mare
- Between days 15 and 36
- Maternal recognition has occured
- No return to oestrus
- Primary CL will persist for normal lifespan
- CL lysed by administration of prostaglandin (before luteo-placental shift)
Describe type II pseudopregnancy in the mare
- Failure between days 36 and 140
- Endometrial cups formed, producing eCG, maintains secondary CL
- No return to oestrus
- Secondary CLs persist nfor normal lifespan (~150 days)
- CL not lysed by administration of PG
- Mare pseudopregnant until cups naturally regress
What features of pregnancy can be used for pregnancy diagnosis?
- Protein/endocrinological changes in urine/blood
- Foetus or foetal membranes directly or indirectly
- Physical changes in dam associated with accomodation of foetus
- Maternal changes secondary to endocrinological changes
What techniques can be used to identify foetus or foetal membranes directly or indirectly?
- Ultrasound examination
- Rectal palpation
- Abdominal palpation
- Radiographic examination
What are some physical change in the dam associated with accomodation of a foetus that can be used for pregnancy diagnosis?
- Increased uterine size or uterine artery (fremitus)
- Increased appetite
- Weight gain
- Abdominal enlargement
- Relaxation of perineal tissue
- Auscultation of foetal heart beats
Describe maternal changes that occur secondary to endocrinological changes that can be used for pregnancy diagnosis
- Absence of oestrus
- Change in cervical mucus (elevated progesterone becomes dry and tacky)
- Vaginal wall thinning
- Teat and mammary gland enlargement
- Secretion of milk in late pregnancy
- Waxing up in mare in late pregnancy
How can abdominal palpation be used for pregnancy diagnosis?
- Detectio of enlargment of uterus
- Ballotment of foetus
- Abdominal distension
Describe the use of radiographic examination in pregnancy diagnosis
- Detection of uterine enlargment
- Mineralisation of foetal skeleton
- Can be done later in pregnancy
- Useful if obese as ultrasound can be difficult if transabdominal scanning
What can be used for early pregnancy diagnosis in the cow?
- Early conception factor
- Transrectal ultrasound for conceptus
- Failure to return to oestrus
What is most commonly used for pregnancy diagnosis in the cow?
- Transrectal ultrasound
- Transrectal palpation
- Transrectal detection of foetal membrane (membrane slip)
- Transrectal ballotment of foetus
- Transrectal palpationof caruncles/cotyledons
- Transrectal uterine artery fremitus
What can be used later in pregnancy for diagnosis in the cow?
- Oestrone sulphate in milk
- Transrectal palpation of foetus
What is commonly used for early pregnancy diagnosis in ewes?
- Failure to be raddled (i.e. non-return to oestrus, high fertility so good indicator of pregnancy)
- Transabdominal ultrasound
What other methods can be used for pregnancy diagnosis later inpregnancy in ewes?
- Foetal pulse detector with doppler ultrasound
- Palpation of caudal uterine artery
- Detection of pregnancy cergical mucus
- Enlargement of abdomen and udder
- Transabdominal ballotment of foetus
What method is most commonly used for pregnancy diagnosis in the sow?
Transabdominal B-mode utrasound at day 20 (fluid filled uterine horn, detection of embryo later)
What method is most commonly used for pregnancy diagnosis in the mare?
Transrectal ultrasound (day 12-15) - Detection of migrating conceptuses and to ensure single pregnancy
How is pregnancy diagnosis confirmed later in the mare?
- Transrectal palpation (day 21)
- Plasma eCG (day 60-120)
- Transrectal foetal ballottement (day 80)
What methods are most commonly used for pregnancy detection in the bitch?
- Transabdominal ultrasound
- Plasma relaxin (only produced by placenta)
What methods can be used for confirmation of pregnancy diagnosis in teh bitch?
- Plasma acute phase proteins
- Abdominal palpation for discrete swellings
- Radiographic examination
- Transabdominal foetal ballottement
