Learning-Centers

Having an ultrasound has benefited both of my practices! In the original of the two locations it has given us the opportunity to expand our diagnostic options in the small animal side and enhance our large animal pregnancy examination techniques.

Ultrasoundsound equipment for pregnancy testing cattle has changed significantly since it became available in the 1990’s. Today’s ultrasound equipment is more portable, more affordable and more adapted to the conditions at the cattle chute.

Pregnancy testing beef cows incorporates many skills, planning and proper facilities. Any deficiencies in any of these areas may result in disappointing results, wasted time and possible injuries to people and cattle.

Becoming a good ultrasounder is all about reading the details amid the shades of grey. Training your eye to know what “normal” is, will be quite helpful. If you learn what a standard or normal image looks like, you will be able to quickly pick up anything that is outside of that.

Veterinary ultrasound equipment has helped a lot of people improve their ability to diagnose pregnancy and reproductive problems in beef and dairy cattle. People still need to continually ask themselves if they are using the equipment to the best of their personal ability and is the equipment set to the optimal settings for the type of examination being done. In the world of cattle reproductive ultrasound, many people work on their own and don’t have the opportunity to compare their skills to others and to learn more about setting their equipment.

Pregchecking season is underway in many parts of the country. Do you want to learn to ultrasound your cattle, or sharpen the skills you already have? ReproScan collaborates with several trainers to provide various training courses.

The course environment was a positive and fun learning environment. I felt open to ask questions and participate. I would recommend this course to practitioners, technicians, and veterinary students. I found it very helpful for myself as a new veterinarian but also found it beneficial to enroll my technician in the course.

In many parts of the country, fall brings pregchecking season. This fall, do you want to sharpen your ultrasound skills or learn to ultrasound? We closely work with several trainers to provide a variety of courses.

The 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show was one for the books. The convention was held January 30- February 1, 2019, in New Orleans, LA. More than 8,000 cattlemen and women made there way to the largest cattle industry event in the country.

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners 51st annual meeting and trade show was in Phoenix, AZ this year. In celebration we are offering an AABP sale to honor our large animal veterinarians for the month of September.

Vets, this year is a monumental one for the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, it is the 50th anniversary. The ReproScan team is excited to be a continued part of the annual conference and trade show.

Ultrasound pregnancy testing cattle on cold days adds additional challenges to an already busy and challenging job. Below are a few tips and ideas from someone who has spent many a cold day chute-side. (Yes, you folks in Florida and other warmer climates can skip this article. Please send us your tips on how to beat the heat.)

It is cold here in Iowa! We have heard from numerous customers from around North America that winter is in full force everywhere. It’s a good reminder for us all that taking a bit more care if you are ultrasounding during this weather is beneficial to the longevity of your ultrasound equipment.

The convex probe ultrasounds were designed for use on cattle, but they can be used for other applications

Marketing sonographic examination for pregnancy diagnosis and gestational aging can be a great way to break into the camelid and small ruminant community and service producers as few practitioners are currently offering that service. There are a few considerations to take into account when preparing to add this service to your practice.

Transabdominal scanning of sheep and goats allows for a very efficient and accurate means of detecting pregnancy. The speed of scanning for experienced practitioners is largely a function of the efficiency of the animal handling system at a given farm. Speed and efficiency are also gained by use of an efficient means of applying lubricant (ultrasound gel) to the probe to allow for air-free skin contact, facilitating sound wave transmission.

The convex probe ultrasounds were designed for use on cattle, but they can be used for other applications

Are you or any of your clients breeding for Christmas puppies? Make sure you have all the tools and knowledge to make it easiest for you! Check out what tips and tricks you can take advantage of this breeding season!

It is important when ultrasounding mares to carefully examine the entire uterus (especially when looking for a short pregnancy). Check out this clip.

It is almost that time of year again…equine breeding season. Are you ready? Do we need to fine tune any of your settings?

There are three indications for tendon ultrasound in the horse: screening for historic injuries, monitoring progress of an injury, and evaluating tendons and ligaments because of a lameness localized to that limb. For the most part, this means that either during the examination process, or at a previous examination, you will have used a lameness exam and other modalities to localize the site of your examination.

Ultrasound is an excellent, if under-utilized modality for imaging the equine or bovine eye. While you may not see a daily caseload of trauma to the periorbit, adnexa, or globe, when you do, a convex or micro convex probe can be used to provide key information relating to the structures involved, the severity of the injury, and prognosis. Cases that may benefit from this include chronic swelling of the eyelid or adnexal structures, foreign bodies, retrobulbar abscesses, lens luxation, retinal detachment, and uveitis.

The convex probe ultrasounds were designed for use on cattle, but they can be used for other applications

Considerations: There are many ways to diagnose pregnancy in a mare, however ultrasound stands out as the most useful and versatile. While manual palpation can diagnose pregnancy and potentially twins, it can’t show a fetal heartrate or consistently diagnose placentitis. Only ultrasound can show fetal health, birth defects, placentitis, and allow for accurate fetal aging. It also allows for the monitoring of cervical tone, uterine edema, and follicular development while preparing to breed a mare.

With June —dairy month— just around the corner, we would like to highlight ultrasound use in the dairy industry. Reproductive ultrasound technology was first used on dairy farms in 1984. Dr. Ginther, at University of Wisconsin, and his team are credited with the first research involving ultrasound imaging of the bovine reproductive tract. Since 1984, an incredible amount has been learned about reproductive cycles, early pregnancy detection, fetal aging, fetal gender determination, ovarian structures and more.