Practical Aspects of Twin Pregnancy Diagnosis in Cattle

Twin pregnancies are an economically unwanted phenomenon in dairy cattle, not only because they increase pregnancy losses, but also because antibiotics usage and culling rate of the dam are also dramatically increased due to them, furthermore animal welfare issues are also affected through them. In cattle, under field conditions using an early pregnancy determination tool, the first accurate diagnosis from the pregnancy status is available from around day 28, although further confirmations of pregnancy are required. Twin pregnancy diagnosis is available either by rectal palpation or ultrasonography. The measurement of pregnancy specific proteins are also available to determine gestation, but there is still a long way to go to properly identify twin pregnancies. In this commentary, we compared our own results with the literature data in this field with a special emphasis on the clinical practices.Levente Kovács was supported by the OTKA Research Scholarship of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (Budapest, Hungary; K-134204) and by the NTP-NFTÖ-20 project by the Human Capacities Grant Management Office and the Hungarian Ministry of Human Capacities, Budapest, Hungary (NTP-NFTÖ-20-B-0030)

Control of ovulation after prostaglandin treatment by means of ultrasonography and effect of the time of ovulation on conception rate in dairy cows

Primiparous and multiparous lactating crossbred dairy cows (after Day 40 postpartum) with a mature corpus luteum (CL) (diameter of ≥ 17 mm determined by ultrasonography) and having a follicle with a diameter of ≥ 10 mm were treated with natural prostaglandin F2α (n = 80). Those from the cows that showed oestrus within 5 days after treatment were inseminated (Group 1: n = 39). Other group of cows showing oestrus without treatment (Group 2: n = 41) were inseminated and served as controls. The ovaries of each cow were scanned by transrectal ultrasonography from the day of detected oestrus (Day −1p.m.) until ovulation, to measure the changes in the areas of the CL and the largest follicle and to determine the occurrence of ovulation. Although no significant differences were found between the treated and untreated cows in terms of a reduction in the area of the corpora lutea and of an increase in the area of the dominant follicles, the mean area of these follicles in Group 2 was somewhat greater than in Group 1. The highest conception rate was achieved if AI was performed at the same day as ovulation occurred in both groups (conception rate in treated group was: 62.5%, in untreated group: 66.6%, respectively) between Day 0a.m. to Day 0p.m.. In Group 1, 54.5% conception rate has been achieved if ovulation occurred between Day 0p.m. to Day 1p.m., or 50% between Day 1p.m. to Day 2p.m. after AI, and 53.3% and 44.4% in Group 2, respectively. The conception rate for cows that ovulated before AI in Group 2 was 25%. No ovulation occurred in 7 cows until Day 2p.m. after AI and none of them became pregnant. The overall conception rate was approximately 50% in both groups, but when the cows had ovulated too early or too late relative to the time of AI, the conception rate was significantly lower, thus determination of the optimal time for AI is of great practical importance in dairy herds

Időskori anorexia, sarcopenia: orexigén és anorexigén peptidek energetikai hatásainak változása az életkorral rágcsálókban = Anorexia of aging, sarcopenia: age-dependent changes in the effects of orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides on energy homeostasis in rodents

Az alpha-MSH, a melanocortin rendszer endogén agonistája intracerebroventricularisan (ICV) adva katabolikus hatású: gátolja a spontán és a 24-h éheztetéssel kiváltott táplálékfelvételt (FI-t) (anorexigén) és biotelemetriás mérések szerint fokozza az anyagcserét és a testhőmérsékletet (Tc-t). Hőszabályozási hatásai nem koordináltak, mert az anyagcserével együtt a hőleadást is fokozza, ami a Tc emelkedését limitálja, ill. az LPS-lázat csökkenti. Anorexigén hatása korfüggő: a fiatal felnőtt (3-4 hó) patkányban kimutatott erős hatás 6-12-hónapos (középkorú) állatokban fokozatosan gyengül, majd öregekben (18-24 hó) maximális lesz. A 7-napos ICV infúzió eredményei ezt megerősítik, viszont azt is igazolják, hogy a peptid metabolikus hatásai nem párhuzamosan változnak az anorexigén hatásokkal. Kimutattuk, hogy az alpha-MSH anorexigén hatása normálisan táplált, kalóriarestrikciós és high-fat-diet által elhizlalt 6-hónapos állatokban hasonló volt, tehát az előzőekben leírt érzékenység-változások valóban a kortól és nem a testösszetételtől függtek. A CRF-el eddig elért eredményeink nagymértékben hasonlítanak az alpha-MSH-val elértekhez. Az orexigén NPY 12-hónapos állatokban hatásosabb, mint a 3 hónaposakban, viszont a 24 hónaposakban sokkal kisebb FI-t indukál. Mindezek elősegíthetik a középkorúak elhízását és az öregek anorexiáját és sarcopeniáját. | The intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of alpha-MSH, the endogenous agonist of the melanocortin system has catabolic effects: it inhibits the spontaneous and fasting-induced food intake (anorexic) and elevates metabolic rate and body temperature (Tc). Its thermoregulatory effects are uncoordinated: heat loss is enhanced together with the rise in metabolic rate, thereby limiting the rise in Tc or inhibiting LPS-fever. The anorexic effects are age-dependent: the strong effect seen in young adult (3-4 months) rats gradually decreases by the age of 6-12 months ('middle-age'), then it becomes very pronounced in old (18-24 months) rats. Results of a 7 day-long ICV infusion confirm these data, but also demonstrate that the changes in metabolic and anorexic effects are not parallel. The anorexic effect was similar in normally fed, calorie-restricted and high fat diet-induced obese 6 month-old rats, proving that the previously seen changes in the anorexic effects of the peptide are due to aging and not to body composition. Results of studies with CRF greatly resemble those gained with alpha-MSH. The orexigenic NPY is more effective in 12 than in 3 month-old rats, but its efficacy significantly decreases by the age of 24 months. All these may contribute to the development of obesity in middle-aged and anorexia/sarcopenia in old rats

Az energetika biotelemetriás vizsgálata TRPV génhiányos és vad típusú egérben: testhőmérsékleti és aktivitási ritmusok változásai különböző tápláltsági és stressz állapotokban = Biotelemetric studies of energetics in TRPV knockout and wild type mice: modifications body temperature and activity rhythms under different feeding and stress situations

C57/BL egerek maghőmérsékletét és lokomotor aktivitását vizsgáltuk biotelemetriás módszerrel különböző környezeti hőmérsékleten. Normális és zsírdús táplálás hatásait követtük a napszaki hullámzásokra táplálás, több napos teljes éheztetés és újratáplálás ideje alatt, valamint ismételt laparotomiás beavatkozást követően is. Mindezen változások energetikai hátterének megismerése céljából releváns mediátorok, gátló anyagok centrális vagy perifériás infúzióját végeztük ALZET minipumpa segítségével. Szabadon mozgó egerek napszaki hőmérsékleti és aktivitási hullámzásának nagysága fokozódik teljes éhezés során és a maghőmérséklet 30 °C-ra való csökkenése jelzi a túlélhető éhezés végét az aktivitás fokozódása mellett. Újratápláláskor, hidegben, elhízásban, CNTF infúzió alatt és laparotomia után csökken a hullámzások amplitúdója. CNTF és CCK-8 icv infúziója lázat vált ki. Eredményeink több új információval szolgáltak a szabadon mozgó egerek normális és kóros energetikájának mechanizmusáról. | Changes of core temperature and locomotor activity were monitored in C57/BL mice under different thermal conditions by using a biotelemetric method. Effects of normal or fat-rich diet were observed on daily oscillatons during feeding, total fasting, re-feeding or on repeated laparotomy. To learn the energetic background of all these stimuli relevant meditors or blocker were infused either centrally or peripherally by using ALZET minipumps. Excursions of daily changes in core temperature and activity were found to be increased during total fasting with core temperature falling to about 30 °C as a sign of threshold of survivability with locomotor activity increasing progressively. Re-feeding, cold exposure, obesity, CNTF infusion or laparotomy led to reversible decreases of daily oscillations. Icv infusion of CNTF or CCK-8 induced fever. Our results furnished new information on the mechanisms of changes in energetics observed under normal and various types of pathological conditions in freely moving mice

A Holstein-Friesian dairy farm survey of postparturient factors influencing the days to first AI and days open in Hungary

The authors monitored the postpartum period during the first seven weeks after calving at a Holstein-Friesian dairy farm in Hungary. Calvings occurred between 2013 and 2015 in three periods from June to November each year (n = 314). Data were collected from the farm record and ultrasonographic examinations were performed between 22 to 28 and 43 to 49 days in milk (DIM), respectively. The animals were followed until successful artificial insemination (AI), i.e. until becoming pregnant or until culling, but at most at 365 DIM. The prevalence of dystocia, twin calving, stillbirth rate and retained fetal membranes (RFM) was 23.2%, 3.8%, 3.5%, and 34.4%, respectively. Altogether 38.9% of the cows (n = 122) had bacterial complications of involution in the first 49 DIM. The prevalence of Grade 2 clinical (puerperal) metritis (CM) was 20.1% within 5 DIM, 10.5% between 6 to 10 DIM and 13.1% from 11 to 20 DIM, while 9.9% of the cows had clinical endometritis (CEM) between 21 and 28 DIM and 1.3% of the cows between 42 and 49 DIM, respectively. Pyometra was diagnosed in 1% of the cows between 21 and 28 DIM and 0.3% between 42 to 49 DIM, respectively. About 80% (80.6%) of the cows were inseminated at least once (n = 253). The success rate of the first AI was 26.9% (n = 68). Dystocia, twin calving, RFM, CM, CEM and cyclicity had no significant effect on the days between calving and first AI, however, according to the Kaplan-Meier analysis stillbirth significantly increased the number of days from calving to first AI (P = 0.039). According to the Kaplan- Meier analysis dystocia, twin calving, stillbirth, RFM, and cyclicity had no effect on the days open. In cows with CM developed within 5 DIM or with CEM diagnosed between 21 and 28 DIM the number of days open significantly decreased (P = 0.009 and P = 0.007, respectively), which confirms the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of uterine diseases. Similar surveys should be conducted to discover the risk factors for reproductive diseases in order to decrease the reproductive losses in dairy farms

Effect of monitoring the onset of calving by a calving alarm thermometer on the prevalence of dystocia, stillbirth, retained fetal membranes and clinical metritis in a Hungarian dairy farm.

The objective of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of an intravaginal thermometer in the field prediction of the second stage of labor and to determine its impact on the health of dams and newborn calves. Holstein cows (n¼241) were randomly selected about 5 (mean±SD: 4.7±2.0) days before the expected date of calving and the thermometerwas inserted intothe vagina. Another 113 cattle served as controls. There was no false alarm during the experiment. The risk of dystocia (Score >1) was 1.9 times higher, the prevalence of stillbirth was 19.8 times higher, the risk of retained fetal membranes (RFM) was 2.8 times higher and the risk of clinical metritis was 10.5 times higher in the control group than in the experimental group. The prevalence of stillbirth was 7 times higher in cows with dystocia compared to cows with eutocia. The presence of dystocia and stillbirth increased the risk of RFM 4 and 5 times, respectively. The occurrence of RFM increased the risk of development of clinical metritis with a 22 times higher odds. The results indicate that the use of calving alert systems not only facilitates controlling the time of parturition and providing prompt and appropriate calving assistance but also decreases the number of dystocia cases and improves reproductive efficiency, postpartum health of the dam and newborn calf survival

Pregnancy and stillbirth losses in dairy cows with singleton and twin pregnancies

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of twin pregnancy, fetal laterality, the number of corpora lutea (CL) and cavitary CL on pregnancy losses in Holstein-Friesian cows with a positive pregnancy diagnosis based on ultrasonography between days 29–42 after AI. Pregnancy was confirmed by transrectal palpation between days 57–70 after AI and at the time of drying-off as well. Twin pregnancy rate was 8.4% at the time of the early pregnancy examination. Pregnancy loss did not differ between singleton- and twin-carrying animals either between days 57–70 of gestation or at drying-off. More losses occurred in singletons between days 29–42 and 57–70 in cows with cavitary than in cows with noncavitary CL (12.1% vs. 3.6%; P < 0.05) and in cows with double CL than in cows with single CL (7.3% vs. 3.6% %; P < 0.05). Between days 57–70 of gestation and drying-off this difference was still significant (20.7% vs. 3.7%; P < 0.001), while it was non-significant between cows with one CL (5.7%) vs. double CL (3.7%). Cavity occurrence was not affected by hormone therapy prior to AI (either PGF2α or OvSynch; 4.4% vs. 5.4%, respectively); however, the number of CL was reduced by the treatments (11.6 vs. 19.6%; P < 0.0005). In twin pregnancies there was no difference in the pregnancy losses between bilateral and unilateral pregnancies at any time point. The length of gestation was 278.2 ± 10.5 (singleton) and 267.4 ± 31.2 (twin) days, respectively (P < 0.01). The stillbirth ratio was higher in twin carriers than in singleton carriers (19.5% vs. 5.3%; P < 0.001)

Is twin pregnancy, calving and pregnancy loss predictable by serum pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB) concentration 28–35 days after ai in dairy cows?

Double ovulation occurs more frequently in multiparous cows with high milk production than in primiparous cows and the rate of twin pregnancy/calving is increasing worldwide. Diagnosis of twin pregnancy is possible by ultrasound at the time of early pregnancy examination [28–34 days after artificial insemination (AI)]. Pregnancy proteins are also well-known indicators of gestation. The risk of pregnancy loss during the first trimester of gestation for cows carrying twins is three to nine times higher than for cows carrying singletons. Pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB) is a good indicator not only of pregnancy but also of pregnancy loss. The aims of this study were (a) to collect calving data in some Hungarian Holstein-Friesian herds (n = 7,300) to compare PSPB serum concentrations (measured 29–35 days post insemination) in twin- and singleton-calving cows (Trial 1), and (b) to check the predictive value of PSPB serum concentration for twin pregnancy and pregnancy loss in high-producing Spanish Holstein-Friesian cows (n = 98; Trial 2). Our results showed almost 7% twin calving rate. Although hormonal treatments are commonly believed to be major causes of twin pregnancies, our data do not support this hypothesis. The only exception is the single PGF injection, which significantly increased twin calving. No effect of milk production on the risk of twin pregnancy was found, and twin pregnancy increased with parity. The AI bull, the bull’s sire, the bull’s grandfather and the cow’s father also affected twin calving (P ≤ 0.02). We found much higher frequency of twin calving in cows diagnosed pregnant with higher than 3 ng/ml serum PSPB concentrations at 29–35 days after insemination. In Trial 2, non-significant but well-marked differences were found in PSPB serum concentration between singleton- and twin-pregnant cow samples (2.1 and 2.9 ng/ml) at different bleeding times. Probably the small size of the study population and the effects of milk production on PSPB values may explain this lack of significance

Evaluation of a commercial intravaginal thermometer to predict calving in a Hungarian Holstein‐Friesian dairy farm

In this study, the utility of a commercial intravaginal thermometer was evaluated as an automated method for the prediction of calving in a total of 257 healthy pregnant Holstein–Friesian female cattle. The accuracy and the sensitivity of predicting calving within 48 hr before calving were also evaluated. The intravaginal temperature changes from 72 hr before and up to calving were significantly (p ≤ .001) affected by parity, season (summer vs. autumn), the time of day (8 a.m. or 8 p.m.) and the 6-hr time intervals (38.19°C: first interval 0 to 6 hr before calving vs. 38.78°C: twelfth interval 66 to 72 hr before calving), while the gender (p = .943), and the weight of the calf (p = .610), twinning (p = .300), gestation length (p = .186), foetal presentation (p = .123), dystocia (p = .197) and retention of foetal membranes (p = .253) did not affect it significantly. The sensitivity of the SMS of expecting calving within 48 hr and the positive predictive value were 62.4% and 75%, respectively, while the sensitivity and the positive predictive value for the SMS of expulsion reached 100%. It can be concluded that the investigated thermometer is not able to predict calving within 48 hr accurately; however, imminent calving can be accurately alerted