News July - August 2019
6
Facts you need to know about the Milk Pregnancy Test By: Kelly Sporer, PhD
The dairy industry was introduced to milk pregnancy testing in 2012 as a result of the collaboration between AntelBio, a subsidiary of NorthStar Cooperative (now CentralStar Cooperative), and IDEXX Laboratories. Since then, more than 12 million milk pregnancy tests have been used in North America. Highly accurate (98%), the Milk Pregnancy Test is a cost effective, non-invasive, and convenient way to determine pregnancy status. With so many benefits, it’s no wonder its use is wide-spread.
1. Use the test any time. CentralStar’s Milk Pregnancy Test is accurate anytime between 28 days post-breeding and dry-off. The three points in time when the test is frequently used are listed below. • First test (P1: 28-60 DCC): Early pregnancy diagnosis as soon as 28 days post-breeding. Open cows can quickly be identified and rebred. These cows must be >60 days postcalving for accurate results. • Second test (P2: 60 - 120 DCC): Confirm pregnancy at mid-lactation after the time of highest risk of pregnancy loss is over. Rebreed or make decisions on any cows that have aborted after the first check. • Third test (P3: >150 DCC): Confirm pregnancy before dry-off. Rebreed or make decisions on any cows that have had late pregnancy losses. 2. Results available within 24 hours of sample receipt at the laboratory by text, e-mail, WebReports, phone or fax.
3. Results are reported as Pregnant, Open, or Recheck. The numeric values reported generally increase as the pregnancy progresses (as the placenta grows) but are not necessarily an indication of “how pregnant” the cow is. Pregnant: >0.25, Open: <0.1, Recheck: 0.1-0.25. 4. “Recheck” means the result indicates a value that is too high to diagnose the cow as open, but not high enough to confirm the pregnancy. These cows can be retested with a milk or blood sample after two weeks or verified by the veterinarian. If the cow is truly open, a “Recheck” result is likely because of loss of the pregnancy but residual Pregnancy Associated Glycoproteins (PAGS), that are produced by the placenta are still in her circulation. If a “Recheck” cow is confirmed pregnant by the veterinarian,
we recommend submitting another sample after two weeks as the placenta may be functioning poorly, ultimately leading to loss of the pregnancy. “Rechecks” should comprise less than 10 percent of a herd’s results. 5. Conflicting results occur because PAG levels still circulate in the cow’s blood and milk even after she has aborted. In these instances the Milk Pregnancy Test detects those residual PAGs, which results in a pregnant result. If a cow is palpated open by a vet but received a pregnant result via blood or milk, this is telling you that this animal had conceived and recently lost her pregnancy. 6. Another “Recheck” result may be due to individual cow variation or insufficient time between the first sample and the retest. While this is uncommon, it is possible and you should call CentralStar’s diagnostic specialist team or consult your veterinarian. You may submit a follow-up blood sample to be tested at no charge, at least two weeks after the first “Recheck” result. You know a successful reproductive program involves more than routine pregnancy confirmations. CentralStar is an expert in the field of reproduction. We can trouble-shoot problems, identify and implement solutions, collaborate with your farm’s consultant team, and monitor progress and results. Call us to learn more about the Milk Pregnancy Test and CentralStar’s reproductive services and consulting.
Kelly Sporer is a Research Scientist with CentralStar Cooperative where she leads research field trials and coordinates custom diagnostic testing strategies. Dr. Sporer earned her bachelor of science in Animal Science from Michigan State University and her PhD from University College Dublin in Ireland.
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