Pregnancy Diagnosis in Cattle for Fertility Management: A Review

Abstract

Pregnancy diagnosis is an essential part of fertility management. Early detection of pregnancy allows early recognition and treatment of problems. The aim of this manuscript is to overview the methods of pregnancy diagnosis in cow and to highlight the advantages of pregnancy diagnosis in relation to fertility management. Methods of pregnancy diagnosis in cow can be classified into direct and indirect methods. Direct methods of pregnancy diagnosis include transrectal palpation and ultrasonography. Indirect methods for early pregnancy diagnosis include measurement of endocrine hormones and pregnancy specific proteins. Visual method is far from perfect. Detecting animals that have been inseminated returning to heat is the most cost-effective method of early detection of non-pregnancy. However, it cannot be relied on as a method of pregnancy detection as a high proportion of cattle (often>30%) which are not seen in heat are actually empty. Transrectal palpation and ultrasonography continue to be the methods of choice for an accurate and early pregnancy diagnosis. Transrectal palpation remains the method of choice for early pregnancy diagnosis. Ultrasound examination is better for aging and sexing the embryo. An accurate, early diagnosis of pregnancy is essential to a successful breeding program. In both beef and dairy cattle, pregnancy diagnosis is an important tool to measure the success of a reproductive management, to allow for early detection of problems and to achieve resynchronization of non-pregnant cows. Generally Pregnancy diagnosis is an important part of good management and helps to maximize reproductive performance. Therefore, the veterinarians and animal production workers should develop an awareness creation about the importance of early pregnancy diagnosis for the farmers and the government should build national laboratories and research centers to provide pregnancy testing for the farmers as a valuable tool for fertility management.