Pregnancy diagnosis in cows with linear‐array real‐time ultrasound scanning: A preliminary note

Summary

Pregnancy diagnoses were performed under farm conditions in 201 cows (Hungarian Red Pied and crosbreds with Holstein) between 21 and 70 days after last insemination date, using a linear‐array real‐time ultrasound scanner with a 3.0 MHz rectal tranducer. Identification of (a) sharply demarcated black area(s) and/or an embryo within the uterus were used as criterions for pregnancy.

Pregnancy was confirmed by rectal examination at 6 and/or 8 weeks after A.I. From the total number of correct positive diagnoses (n= 129), incorrect positivediagnoses (n = 3, made on days 36,40 and 44 after A I), correct negative diagnoses (n =62) and incorrect negativediagnoses (n = 7, made on days 25, 28, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 33 after A I). a sensitivity of 94.8%, a specificity of 95,3%, a positive predictive value of 97.7% and a negative predictive value of 89.8% were calculated.

From these preliminary results it was concluded that real‐time ultrasound scanning is a useful and reliable technique for early pregnancy diagnosis in cows. It is suggested that a combination of milk/plasma progesterone estimation between days 21 and 24 and real‐time ultrasound scanning between days 25 and 45 would allow the confirmation and quantification of (late) embryonic mortality in the cow.

Notes

Department of Veterinary Obstetrics, Gynaecology and A.I., State University of Utrecht, Yalelaan 7, de Uithof, 3508 TD, The Netherlands.

Department of Obstetrics and Reproductive Biology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.