Clinical management of pregnancy-related problems between days 28 and 60 in the dairy cow

Evaluation of a Commercial Pregnancy Test Using Blood or Plasma Samples in High-Producing Dairy Cows

“…Data derived from the herd during the 12 months before the beginning of the study showed a 9.5% of pregnancy loss before Day 60 of gestation in pregnant cows with at least a live embryo at pregnancy diagnosis (Days 28–34 post-AI). Therefore, a cut-off of pregnancy loss before 60 days of pregnancy was established [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. A further 4% of cows experienced abortion between 60 and 260 days of pregnancy.…”

“…Pregnancy is a crucial event in the life of the dairy cow, encompassing the embryonic period from conception to around 45 days of gestation and continuing through the fetal period until parturition [ 17 ]. Following a positive pregnancy diagnosis during the late embryonic period, there is up to 20% pregnancy loss, which is drastically reduced after Day 60 [ 18 , 19 , 20 ], when gestation is firmly established [ 21 , 22 ]. This is the reason why most clinical efforts to diagnose pregnancy and pregnancy viability are made during the late embryonic/early fetal period, between days 22 and 60 of gestation [ 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

“…Following a positive pregnancy diagnosis during the late embryonic period, there is up to 20% pregnancy loss, which is drastically reduced after Day 60 [ 18 , 19 , 20 ], when gestation is firmly established [ 21 , 22 ]. This is the reason why most clinical efforts to diagnose pregnancy and pregnancy viability are made during the late embryonic/early fetal period, between days 22 and 60 of gestation [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. During this period, ultrasound is the gold standard method for diagnosing pregnancy and for predicting pregnancy viability or failure [ 18 , 20 , 23 ].…”

“…This is the reason why most clinical efforts to diagnose pregnancy and pregnancy viability are made during the late embryonic/early fetal period, between days 22 and 60 of gestation [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. During this period, ultrasound is the gold standard method for diagnosing pregnancy and for predicting pregnancy viability or failure [ 18 , 20 , 23 ]. However, detection of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) of trophoblastic origin is emerging as an alternative or a support to ultrasound pregnancy controls in cattle [ 18 , 19 , 24 ].…”

Recent advances in early pregnancy loss diagnosis in dairy cows: New approaches

“…Further, the chorionic villi and allantoic membranes were clearly detached from the endometrium, and floating echogenic particles of the foetal membranes can be detected in the uterus. Additionally, cardiac arrest, cessation of embryonic and foetal growth, and the presence of cloudy amniotic fluid and urinary allantoic fluid can be considered to be signs of embryonic or foetal damage or death during ultrasound evaluation (Jonker, 2004;López-Gatius & Szenci, 2023;Szenci, 2021).…”