Ultrasound for horses...?

Question

Is there a portable ultrasound machine that could be transported by a vet to a farm or someway to detect a very early mare pregnancy. Like in the first month.

Answer 1

Most larger, specialist, equine vet practices will have a mobile ultrasound machine.

After a mare is bred, waiting to determine if the mare returns to heat before having her examined for pregnancy may appear to be a way to save money by avoiding "needless" pregnancy evaluations, but may ultimately result in greater costs. The use of ultrasound enables vets to diagnose pregnancy at an early stage, 12 to 14 days after ovulation. Ovulation usually occurs approximately one day before the mare goes out of heat. The advantages of early pregnancy diagnosis are numerous, whereas the disadvantages are negligible.

By knowing that a mare is not pregnant before the time she is due to come back into heat, plans can be made to prepare for another breeding. Although the length of time a mare is in estrus or "heat" varies somewhat between mares and according to the time of the year, the length of time a mare is out of heat is fairly consistent, approximately 15 days. By checking a mare for pregnancy two weeks after she goes out of heat, if she is not pregnant, plans can be made to either take her back to the stallion for rebreeding or prepare for another shipment of semen for artificial insemination. This time frame allows for arrangements to be made before she comes back into heat, thereby providing ample time so that the next cycle is not missed and valuable time is not lost. This advanced warning is also helpful to the manager of the stallion who may need to work the mare into the breeding schedule. If pregnancy examination is delayed until 18 or 21 days after breeding, the mare may be too close to ovulation (or even just past ovulation) for rebreeding during that cycle.

Because the length of time between heats is fairly consistent, if a mare is showing strong signs of heat at the time of pregnancy examination 12 to 14 days after the last breeding, it is an indication of some problem causing her to "short cycle." Short cycling, or coming back into heat before expected, may result from a uterine infection. Uterine infections cause the release of a hormone, prostaglandin, that results in a mare returning to estrus. This will result in her having a shorter than normal interval between estrus periods. Mares that come back into heat before they are due should be examined for abnormal conditions of the reproductive tract, including poor conformation, urine pooling, and endometritis, which could be responsible for the abbreviated diestrus. Likewise, examination for pregnancy in late diestrus may reveal fluid in the uterus, another abnormal condition that should be further evaluated.

The most important reason for early pregnancy examination is probably the detection of twins. Mares rarely carry twins to term successfully. Twin pregnancy usually ends in abortion or dystocia (problems giving birth), either of which can result in a delay in getting the mare rebred. Before the arrival of ultrasound, twinning was a major cause of abortion in mares. Now, with the use of ultrasound, the incidence of abortion due to twins can be avoided.

Answer 2

Most large animal vets have a portable ultrasound machine that can be taken to the farm for pregnancy checks. I would call your vet to see if either they, or another practice in the area, have one to bring out to the farm. Best of luck with your mare's pregnancy.

Answer 3

I'm pretty sure that the Equine Vet would carry a ultrasound machine to the farm. I dont know about how early they can detect a pregnancy, you should call your vet to see. If your mare is pregnant, I hope she is fine.
Best of luck to your mare, and the colt or filly!
BYE

Answer 4

Your vet should have a portable one or you could purchase one. With improvements in technologly these days you can now find out if your mare is in gestation with days of the egg emplanting.
At my ranch we can find out within a day of eggs being released. This is so we can either extract the egg to be placed in a surrogate mare or to fertilize it by means of AI. Your vet should be able to tell you if she's pregnant when he does a house call.

Answer 5

The country supply catalogue carries a home-portable ultrasound machine. Go to www.horse.com and have them mail you a catalogue if you would like to know more about it.
(Bear in mind it costs over $2000).

Answer 6

Yes and most equine reproduction specialists have one. I think the earliest I've had pregnancy detected was (don't quote me, it's been a while here) 6-8 weeks.