Transabdominal ultrasonographic evaluation of fetal well-being in the late-term mare and cow

Reference Values and Repeatability of Transabdominal Ultrasonographic Gastrointestinal Tract Thickness and Motility in Healthy Donkeys (Equus asinus)

The present study aimed to provide reference ranges for the wall thickness and motility pattern of the gastrointestinal tract from a sample of donkeys (Equus asinus) population using B-mode ultrasonography. In the present study, 30 clinically healthy donkeys (Equus asinus) (15 males and 15 females), aged 2-20 year old and weighed 100-280 kg were randomly selected for B-mode ultrasonographic scanning of the abdomen. The wall thickness of the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, left colon, right colon, and cecum was assessed. Moreover, the motility pattern of the duodenum, jejunum, left colon, right colon, and cecum was evaluated over a period of 3 minutes. Abdominal ultrasonographic scanning of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy donkeys explored that the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, left colon, right colon, and cecum could be visualized easily. The wall thickness of the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, left colon, right colon, and cecum was 7.0 ± 0.9 mm, 3.3 ± 1.0 mm, 5.4 ± 0.6 mm, 5.1 ± 0.5 mm, 5.4 ± 0.5 mm, and 5.4 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. The thickest part of the gastrointestinal tract is the stomach, whereas the thinnest part is the duodenum. The motility pattern of the duodenum, jejunum, left colon, right colon, and cecum was 7.7 ± 1.3 contractions/3 minutes, 6.9 ± 1.1 contractions/3 minutes, 4.1 ± 1.2 contractions/3 minutes, 5.5 ± 1.3 contractions/3 minutes, and 4.0 ± 0.8 contractions/3 minutes, respectively. Both the duodenum and jejunum contractions were significantly higher than that of the left colon, right colon, and cecum. This is the first study reporting the reference values for both the wall thickness and motility pattern of the gastrointestinal tract in healthy donkeys (Equus asinus) in Egypt. Good knowledge of these standard and reference values of the wall thickness and motility pattern of gastrointestinal tract structures represents a step in the early diagnosis of the gastrointestinal disorders, including colic in such animal species.

Introduction of a new fetal examination protocol for on-field and clinical equine practice

Prepartum fetal surveillance techniques have been widely used in both human and veterinary obstetrics, although these tests differ in their sensitivity for the assessment of fetal well-being. In equine reproduction, the 'gold standard' examination technique is the equine biophysical profile (EBP) described by Virginia Reef in 1995. Although this fetal assessment has many benefits, its accuracy, sensitivity and specificity have not been evaluated so far. In this study, 129 late-term pregnant mares were scanned twice in their last month of gestation using two different protocols (the EBP and a new, rapid examination protocol, REP) in order to determine the accuracy of these tests. The REP included the determination of fetal heart rate, fetal aortic diameter and the combined thickness of the uteroplacental unit. Twenty-seven fetuses proved to be compromised and 102 mares had healthy asymptomatic foals. Statistical analyses showed slight differences in test sensitivity (81.48% and 85.19%), specificity (83.3% and 87.25%) and accuracy (82.95% and 86.82%) for EBP and REP, respectively. Furthermore, a statistically significant interchangeability could be demonstrated between the two methods. It is concluded that, depending on the prevalence of the disease (here: compromised state), both methods are useful for the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities and make it possible to provide satisfactory care for broodmares and their fetuses.

Feto-maternal heart rate ratio in pregnant bitches: effect of gestational age and maternal size

Few information is available on parameters that can be used to objectively assess the foetal health during canine pregnancy. To identify a reliable parameter for the evaluation of foetal well-being, the effect of pre-gestational maternal bodyweight and gestational age on foetal heart rate (FHR) and on feto-maternal heart rate ratio (FHR/MHR) was investigated. Seventeen client-owned pregnant bitches of different pre-gestational maternal bodyweight were examined by serial echo colour Doppler. Only data from 11 uncomplicated pregnancies were included in the statistical analysis. The relationship between FHR, and FHR/MHR, and independent variables was analysed by polynomial regression (p ≤ .05). The FHR and the FHR/MHR significantly fitted a multiple quadratic regression for all independent variables. They both increased from 35 to 20 days before parturition and then a decreasing pattern followed. Higher values of both parameters were observed in bitches of lowest and highest bodyweight. Patterns of FHR and FHR/MHR were similar, but the ratio better describes the effect of the independent variables on the data. Thus, the highest significance of FHR/MHR compared to FHR alone encourages the application of this ratio to evaluate foetal well-being. The equation derived by the regression analysis of FHR/MHR could be applied in clinical practice to obtain its expected values in healthy pregnancies.