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Use of ultrasound to improve reproductive management in dairy or beef cattle
Gnemmi G.
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Objectives: The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how the use of ultrasound allows us to define in which phase (luteal-follicular) of the oestrus cycle the cow is, but also in which part of each phase (meta-oestrus, di-oestrus; pro-oestrus, oestrus). The main purpose of this evaluation is to optimise the use of oestrus synchronization of the ovulation, pre-synchronisation and re-synchronisation. But also to be able to establish, on the basis of the follicular map and the ultrasound stratigraphy of the uterus, if and when the cow could enter oestrus.
Materials & Methods: A portable or ultra-portable ultrasound scanner, working in B-Mode, allows us to define with great precision whether we are in the luteal phase or the follicular phase of the oestral cycle. In the luteal phase the hormonal profile is progestin, so the myometrium and endometrium have the same thickness and echogenicity when analysed at a frequency of 5.0-10.0 MHz. The uterine lumen, if the cow does not have a chronic inflammatory process of the uterus, will be a virtual space.
In the follicular phase, the hormonal profile is oestrogenic: the myometrium is contracted and, due to the increase in acoustic density, will be echogenic. The vascular tonaca is thickened and the endometrium is oedematous, causing dilation of the blood vessels, which will appear as small anechogenic spaces in the endometrial structure. The endometrium is hypo-ecogenic and the uterine lumen shows increased fluid, which is anecogenic. The shape of the uterine lumen is star- shaped or Christmas tree-shaped.
Once the phase of the cycle is established, we move on to define the follicular map and the presence of the corpus luteum or corpora lutei, whose age will be established on the basis of the presence of one or more dominant follicles and their size. Once it has been established in which moment of the cycle the cow is, it is possible to give indications as to whether and when she will come into oestrus, but also to establish with great precision, whether it is possible and/or convenient to re- sort to oestrus synchronisation (PGF2a), or synchronization of the ovulation.
Results: The more thorough the technician’s knowledge of the oestral cycle and the better the quality of the ultrasound unit in use and its set-up, the greater the accuracy of the method. Possible sources of error may arise from the presence of co-dominance and/or the presence of a persistent dominant follicle from a previous oestral cycle. This assessment is based on a pre-judgment: that if we visit dairy cows, they are two-wave growth, whereas when we work with beef cows and/ or heifers (both dairy and beef), they are three-wave follicular growth.
Conclusions: This technique makes it possible to define with extreme precision the estrous window in which the cow is located and whether the cow is cyclical. This makes it possible to optimise all forms of hormone therapy. However, this technique opens up a great opportunity in herds where, for various reasons, it has been decided not to resort to the systematic use of pre-synchronisation or oestrus synchronisation. It is a technique that fits in perfectly with all oestrus detection systems and allows confirmation of the indication derived from electronic or manual oestrus detection systems. It is a very precise technique, but based on a single ultrasound evalua- tion, it is not free of errors, which may result from the initial pre-judgment in the definition of the follicular waves and not only.
New ultrasound scanners, even ultra-portable ones, already allow automatic measurement of follicular maps. In a few years’ time, with the advent of artificial intelligence, it is very likely that the accuracy of this diagnostic method will improve, making it possible to reduce the natural margin of error that exists today.
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Affiliation of the authors at the time of publication
BOVINEVET INTERNACIONAL Bovine Ultrasound Services & Herd Management, Huesca, Spain
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