ACCURACY OF TRANSVAGINAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY FOR EARLY PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS IN ATTAPPADY BLACK GOATS

diagnosed as pregnant from the observation of gestational sac, embryo or foetus, embryonic or foetal heartbeat, placentomes or foetal skeleton. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and overall accuracy along gestation period were 98.03, 92.3, 96.15, 96 and 95.62%, respectively. It is concluded from the present study that transvaginal ultrasonography can be used for herd pregnancy diagnosis at early stages from day 20 to 45 of pregnancy diagnosis in goats. INTRODUCTION A b d o m i n a l p a l p a t i o n a n d u d d e r enlargement have been used traditionally for pregnancy diagnosis in goats but applicable only in later stages of pregnancy. A reliable method for early pregnancy diagnosis would allow early culling or rebreeding of non-pregnant does. One of the most important reasons for pregnancy diagnosis is detection of pseudopregnancy or hydrometra. Modern diagnostic methods like radiography, measurement of plasma progesterone concentration, assessment of estrone sulfate, evaluation of pregnancy specific proteins, and ultrasonography have been used to diagnose pregnancy in goats. B-mode transrectal and transabdominal ultrasonography provided accurate early pregnancy diagnosis and foetometry in goats (Ameer, 2008). Transabdominal scanning has been shown to be effective and reliable under field conditions for pregnancy diagnosis in goats (Hesselink and Taverne, 1994). Recent investigations have revealed that transrectally performed ultrasonography is easier to diagnose early pregnancy in goats (Gordon, 2004). However, faecal pellets and rectal brittleness are potential drawbacks of transrectal ultrasonography (Aria et al., 2004). There is also increased risk of infection and luminal wall injury or bleeding during transrectal ACCURACY OF TRANSVAGINAL ULTRASONOGRAPHY FOR EARLY PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS IN ATTAPPADY BLACK GOATS LAIJU M. PHILIP1*, ABHILASH R.S. 1 AND FRANCIS BASTIN P.2 1 College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur, Kerala 680651. 2 Veterinary Polyclinic, Mannarkkad, Palakkad, Kerala * Corresponding author: laijuphilip@kvasu.ac. in MALAYSIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY RESEARCH Volume 8 No. 2 July 2017 36 examination. Also the sensitivity of the transrectal scans may decrease in the absence of overnight fasting (Karen et al., 2009). Despite routine use in humans, transvaginal method for pregnanc y diagnosis is rarely used in goats. This study was conducted to identify the early stage foetal structures which could be detected by transvaginal ultrasonography, and to evaluate the accuracy of transvaginal methods in detecting pregnancy and foetal structures in first 75 days of pregnancy in Attappady goats. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted in 74 Attappady Black goats from Government Goat Farm, Attappady and Livestock Research Station, Thiruvizhamkunnu. Ultrasound scanning was conducted in all the animals from day 20 after natural service to day 75 using a real-time scanner (Mindray, China) to identify the early stage gestational structures. Transvaginal ultrasonographic examination was performed using endocavity transducer with frequency of 6.5 to 8 MHz. The does were restrained in standing position against wall by an assistant. The probe was lubricated with ultrasound gel, protected with a disposable sheath. The probe was gently introduced into the vagina first at a 45° of upward angle, then forward and straight cranially. The entire pelvis was visualized with 90° rotations and preferred frequency was 7.5 MHz. If visualization was not proper, the abdominal wall of the animal was then lifted gently with the right hand. The probe was protected with a disposable sheath and ultrasound gel was applied to the transducer to assure good acoustic transmission. Observations were made in all the does at 3 different stages of pregnancy i.e., 20-35 days, 35-55 days and 55-75 days. Does were diagnosed pregnant from the observation of gestational sac, embryo or foetus, embryonic or foetal heartbeat, placentomes or foetal skeleton. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and overall accuracy of transvaginal ultrasonography was calculated (Raja-Khalif et al., 2014). The accuracy in diagnosing pregnancy status by the transvaginal ultrasound scanning technique was compared using the actual kidding data.