How can ultrasound help?
The advancements in durability, portability, and quality of ultrasound technology has afforded the large animal veterinarian the ability to use this technology for the dairyman’s benefit.
Using an ultrasound for pregnancy diagnosis can help you improve the reproductive efficiency of your herd by finding the open cows quicker, and decreasing the AI interval and increasing your service rate.
Blood pregnancy machines are also excellent at finding the open cows quickly. However, ultrasounds are also able to find twins and evaluate the strength of the fetus by looking at fetal heart rate, amniotic fluid echo-genesis, and fetal-membrane integrity. In our experience, this translates into a lower abortion rate with ultrasounds over blood machines.
Our veterinarians can accurately diagnose pregnancy and determine fetal viability via ultrasound as early as 28 days post AI, returning open cows to re-synchronization protocol and subsequent AI more promptly.
Additionally, use of an ultrasound can more accurately identify ovarian structures and consequently the detection of ovarian pathologies like follicular or luteal cysts, aiding in treatment and management decisions for affected animals. Ask your Mill Creek Vet how this technology can be used on your farm to improve reproduction in your herd.