Pregnancy Diagnosis in Swine:
A Comparison of Two Ultrasound Instruments
G.W. ALMOND, W.T.K. BOSU AND G.J. KING
Department of Clinical Studies (Almond and Bosu) and
Department of Animal and Poultry Science (King),
University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario NI G 2 WI
ABSTRACT
This investigation was designed to
assess the sensitivity, specificity and
positive predictive values of amplitude-
depth and Doppler pregnancy detec-
tors when utilized for pregnancy diag-
nosis of mated sows. Mated sows
(n = 38) were tested daily from 15 to 45
days after mating for pregnancy with
the ultrasound instruments. The same
procedure was performed with non-
mated sows (n = 10) 15 to 45 days after
estrus. Both instruments were unrelia-
ble for pregnancy diagnosis between 15
and 22 days after mating. Between 23
and 45 days after mating the Doppler
pregnancy detector was more specific
and had greater positive predictive
values. In contrast the amplitude-
depth pregnancy detector was more
sensitive during the same time interval.
Serum estrone sulphate concentra-
tions were determined in samples col-
lected between 27 and 30 days after
mating or estrus, as an alternate
method of pregnancy diagnosis. Serum
estrone sulphate concentrations were
always equal to or greater than
0.5 ng/mL in the pregnant sows, while
in the nonmated sows estrone sulphate
concentrations were never more than
0.5 ng/mL serum.
Key words: Swine, pregnancy diagno-
sis, ultrasound, estrone sulphate.
RtSUM t
Une comparaison de deux instruments
A ultrasons, pour le diagnostic pr6coce
de la gestation, chez la truie
Cette etude portait sur deux appareils a
ultrasons et elle consistait a en deter-
Present address of senior author: Department of Food Animal and Equine Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University,
4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606.
Supported by the Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Medata Sales, Elmira, Ontario.
Can Vet J 1985; 26: 205-208.
miner la sensibilite, la specificite et l'ef-
ficacite, comme outils du diagnostic
precoce de la gestation, chez des truies
saillies. Les auteurs utiliserent a cette
fin 38 truies chez lesquelles ils essaye-
rent quotidiennement les appareils
precites, de 15 a 45 jours apres leur
accouplement. Ils employerent le
meme procede, chez dix truies temoins,
de 15 a 45 jours apres l'oestrus. Les
deux appareils exp6rimentaux s'ave-
rerent non satisfaisants pour le diag-
nostic de la gestation, de 15 a 22jours
apres la saillie. De 23 a 45 jours apres
l'accouplement, l'appareil Doppler se
revela plus specifique et plus efficace,
mais l'appareil a ultrasonoscopie uni-
dimensionnelle se revela plus sensible,
durant cette periode.
La determination de la teneur en sul-
fate d'oestrone dans des echantillons de
serum preleves entre 27 et 30 jours
apres la saillie ou l'oestrus, servit de
methode alternative de diagnostic de la
gestation. La concentration de l'hor-
mone precitee se revela toujours egale
ou superieure a 0,5 ng/mL, chez les
truies gravides, tandis qu'elle ne
depassa jamais 0,5 ng/mL, chez les
temoins.
Mots cl6s: porcs, diagnostic de la gesta-
tion, ultrasons, sulfate d'oestrone.
I N T R O D U C T IO N
The advantages of accurate methods
for early pregnancy diagnosis in swine
include early detection of conception
failure, forecasting production levels
and early identification of nonpreg-
nant animals which facilitates culling,
treatment or rebreeding (1). The tradi-
tional method of pregnancy diagnosis
has been failure to return to estrus
about 21 days after mating. However,
this method may be confused with
conditions such as delayed return to
estrus after breeding and "silent" heat
(2). A more accurate method of early
pregnancy diagnosis in sows consists of
the determination of plasma or serum
concentration of estrone sulphate, 23
to 30 days after mating (3,4,5). Serum
concentrations of estrone sulphate in
excess of 0.5 ng/mL are considered
indicative of pregnancy (6,7). Elevated
plasma concentrations of progeste-
rone, assayed between 18 and 24 days
after mating, have been used for pre-
sumptive pregnancy diagnosis in sows
(4). However, these methods are not
readily available to swine producers.
Presently, ultrasound is the most
practical and widely used technique
for pregnancy diagnosis in sows. The
Doppler and amplitude-depth ultra-
sound instruments have been used
routinely for this purpose by swine
producers and veterinarians. Doppler
instruments detect the changes in fre-
quency of reflected ultrasound waves
which arise when they are reflected
from a moving surface, e.g. fetal heart
or middle uterine artery. Detectable
frequency changes are converted to
audible sounds which are emitted from
a loudspeaker or earphone (8). This
instrument is claimed to be 90% accu-
rate for detecting pregnancy at
approximately one month of gestation
(9,10,11). Pulse-echo or amplitude-
depth ultrasound instruments gener-
ate pulses of ultrasound from a hand-
held probe, which detects the presence
205
of fluids in a viscus, e.g. uterus,
because of the difference in acoustical
impedance between the contents in the
fluid-filled viscus (gravid uterus) and
adjacent tissues (12). This technique is
rapid, simple and claimed to have an
accuracy of 90% or more in detecting
pregnancy as early as 25 days post-
breeding (9,12,13).
In a recent study of the "not-in-pig"
sow syndrome in Ontario swine herds
(14), it became apparent that the
method of pregnancy diagnosis may
contribute to the problem through
misdiagnosis or incorrect usage of
these ultrasound instruments. The
present study was designed to evaluate
the sensitivity, specificity and positive
predictive value of two commercially
available ultrasound instruments, the
Ilis (International Livestock Improve-
ment Specialists, J.K. Machinery, St.
Jacobs, Ontario) amplitude-depth
pregnancy detector and Medata
(Medata Sales, Elmira, Ontario)
Doppler pregnancy detector. Serum
estrone sulphate concentrations were
determined for early confirmation of
pregnancy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experimental Design and Animals
Forty-eight sows housed at the
Arkel Research Station, University of
Guelph, were used for the study. The
arrangement of these sows was not
modified during the investigation.
Thirty-eight sows were mated at estrus
and examined daily by a qualified
operator with the Ilis and Medata
from 15 to 45 days after mating. The
sows were observed daily until farrow-
ing and the farrowing dates recorded.
In addition, blood samples were col-
lected using the orbital sinus bleeding
technique (15) from each sow between
days 27 and 30 after mating. The blood
was centrifuged within two hours of
collection and the serum was collected
and frozen at -20° C, until assayed for
estrone sulphate.
A second group of ten nonmated
sows were similarily examined with
the two ultrasound instruments
between 15 and 45 days after an
observed estrus. Blood samples were
collected between days 27 and 30 post-
estrus, the serum was harvested after
centrifugation and frozen at -200 C,
until assayed.
A direct radiommunoassay tech-
206
nique which eliminates an extraction each instrument is defined as its ability
step was used to determine estrone to detect pregnant animals and repre-
sulphate concentrations in the serum sents the proportion of pregnant ani-
(3,16). The characteristics of the mals that test positively. Specificity of
antibody used have been previously the instrument is defined as its ability
determined (16). Each sample was to detect nonpregnant animals and
assayed in triplicate and the results represents the proportion of nonpreg-
expressed as an average of three esti- nant animals that test negatively (18).
mations. In this study, serum estrone The positive predictive value repre-
sulphate concentrations equal to or sents the proportion of pregnant ani-
greater than 0.5 ng/mL were con- mals among those that test positively
sidered indicative of early pregnancy and answers the question, given that
(6,7). an animal tested positive, what is the
likelihood that the animal is actually
Statistical Analysis pregnant?
The experimental period was
divided into three intervals: 15-22 RESULTS
days, 23-30 days and 31-45 days after All thirty-eight mated sows farrowed
mating or estrus. Since pork producers after a normal gestation. The serum
would be using pregnancy diagnostic concentrations of estrone sulphate in
instruments after a mated animal had the mated sows, 27-30 days after
passed one estrous cycle, only the breeding, ranged from 0.5 ng/mL to
results from the last two periods were 8.6 mL with a mean of 3.9 ± 2.28
included in the statistical analysis. A (n = 38). In contrast, the serum con-
minimum logit X2 was used to test dif- centrations of estrone sulphate in
ferences between the sensitivity and samples collected from nonmated
specificity of the two instruments over sows 27-30 days postestrus were all less
the 23-30 and the 31-45 day periods than 0.5 ng/mL.
because this also allowed testing of the The results obtained (Table I) indi-
instrument x period interaction (17). If cated that neither instrument was suf-
the interaction was significant, the ficiently sensitive to be of any practical
results for individual instruments were use for pregnancy diagnosis during the
tested over the two periods with an period from 15 to 22 days or before an
adjusted X2 (17). The sensitivity of unsuccessfully mated animal would
TABLE I
SENSITIVITY, SPECIFICITY AND POSITIVE PREDICTIVE VALUE OF Two ULTRASOUND INSTRUMENTS
WHEN USED ON SOwS 15 T045 DAYS AFTER MATINGa
Ultrasound Positive Predictive
Time Tested Instrument Sensitivity Specificity Value
Days 15-22 Ilis 23.7 72.5 76.6
Medata 8.8 97.5 93.1
Days 23-30 Ilis 91.8 83.75 95.5
Medata 70.4 98.75 99.5
Days 31-45 Ilis 97.9 78.7 94.5
Medata 85.3 98.6 99.6
aValues expressed are percentages.
TABLE II
MINIMUM LOGIT X2 ANALYSIS COMPARING SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF Two ULTRASOUND
INSTRUMENTS WHEN USED ON SOwS BETWEEN 23 TO 30 AND 31 TO 45 DAYS AFTER MATING
Sum of squares (X2)
Source df Sensitivity Specificity
Instrument 1 40.72a 59.40a
Period 1 82.23a 51.59a
Interaction 1 1.74 6.41
ap < 0.01
bp < O.05
normally return to estrus. A minimum
logit X2 analysis (Table II) showed
that the Ilis amplitude-depth instru-
ment had a significantly (P < 0.0 1)
higher sensitivity so was more reliable
for detecting pregnant animals than
the Medata Doppler type. The com-
parison of results obtained between 23
to 30 and 31 to 45 days and nonsignifi-
cant interaction indicated that both of
the ultrasound pregnancy detecting
units had significantly higher sensitiv-
ity when used during the later period.
The positive predictive values during
the second and third examination
intervals were 95.5% and 94.5%
respectively for the Ilis and 99.5% and
99.6% for the Medata instrument.
The results obtained for the ability
of the two instruments to detect non-
pregnant animals (specificity) showed
that the Medata pregnosticator was
clearly superior (Tables I and II).
Since the interaction was significant in
this analysis, the results for individual
instruments were compared separately
and the adjusted X2 calculated for each
of the instruments over the two peri-
ods was: for the Medata, X2 = 0.01 and
the Ilis, X2 = 80.38 (P < 0.01). This
difference in response would explain
the significant period effect and inter-
action in the minimum logit X2
analysis.
DISCUSSION
In the present study all gravid sows
were correctly diagnosed pregnant on
the basis of having a serum estrone
sulphate concentration in excess of
0.5 ng/ mL, 27 to 30 days after mating.
This finding is comparable to previous
reports (3,4,5,6). It should be empha-
sized, however, that this or any other
diagnostic parameter used early in ges-
tation cannot correctly predict
whether or not all sows will farrow
since fetal resorption or mummifica-
tion of an entire litter subsequent to
the positive pregnancy diagnosis will
affect the farrowing rates.
The results of this study highlight
some advantages and disadvantages
associated with the use of ultrasonic
pregnancy detectors. Neither instru-
ment is sufficiently precise to provide a
reliable diagnostic test before 23 days,
but this finding was of little concern,
since use of ultrasound pregnancy
detectors is not advocated this early in
gestation. The accuracy of both
instruments was acceptable within the
23 to 30 day range of gestation.
The sensitivity of amplitude-depth
pregnancy analysis was greatest 31 to
45 days after mating, in contrast to its
lower specificity. A maximum positive
predictive value of 95.5% was achieved
during the interval 23 to 30 days post-
breeding. This finding is contrary to a
previous report in which the predictive
value of the amplitude-depth instru-
ment reached a maximum value at day
42 postmating (13). This difference
may be explained by the variations in
the number of pregnant and nonpreg-
nant sows examined in each study.
However, these differences in results
may suggest that the amplitude-depth
type of ultrasonic pregnosticator can
produce quite variable responses.
Furthermore, if the results of the pres-
ent study are representative of the
results obtained in commercial swine
units, it can be assumed that five per-
cent of all sows diagnosed pregnant
between 23 to 45 days after mating
with a single test using this ultrasonic
instrument will not farrow.
Possible sources of false positive tests
with the amplitude-depth pregnancy
detector may include accumulations of
fluid within a nongravid uterus. Exten-
sive uterine edema associated with zea-
ralenone toxicity (19,20) or purulent
metritis are likely sources of such
accumulations. Although these patho-
logical conditions may be encountered
in commercial units, the most common
source of false positive tests is a dis-
tended urinary bladder.
The sensitivity of the Doppler preg-
nosticator in this study was compar-
able to values described in some pre-
vious investigations (9, 10). Buddle (10)
and McCaughey and Rea (I 1) claimed
the Doppler pregnosticator was not
sufficiently specific nor predictive.
However, Benjaminsen and Karlberg
(9) indicated that the Doppler pregnos-
ticator attained high specificity and
predictive values, similar to the find-
ings of the present study. Nevertheless,
the lack of sensitivity of this instrument
can lead to a number of pregnant
animals being erroneously classified as
nonpregnant. Consequently, pregnant
sows may be culled unless pregnancy
diagnosis is repeated. Furthermore, the
interpretation of the ultrasonic signal is
subject to individual judgement and
background noise (ventilation fans,
vocal sows, friction rubs) may also
affect the accuracy of diagnosis with
the Doppler pregnancy detector.
In summary, the amplitude-depth
pregnancy detector although easy to
use, has a lower positive predictiveness
but is sufficiently sensitive for practi-
cal application. The Doppler ultra-
sound instrument is cumbersome and
demands expertise and favorable con-
ditions for its optimum use. Ultra-
sound pregnancy detectors may be
beneficial, but the user must be aware
that these technical aides are not
replacements for sound managerial
practices. Under practical conditions
each animal should be tested two or
more times until results are consistent
and the operator is confident they are
reliable.
ACK NOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by the
Ontario Pork Producers Marketing
Board and the Ontario Ministry of
Food and Agriculture. The technical
assistance of Ms. T. Frank and Ms. D.
Bland was deeply appreciated. Dr.
S.W. Martin and Dr. I. McMillan are
gratefully acknowledged for their
competent advice regarding the statis-
tical analysis of data. The authors wish
to thank Ms. D. Collins and Ms. B.
Ingram for preparation of the
manuscripts.
REFERENCES
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Education of the Veterinarian
DEAR SIR:
Education, research and suggested
changes in the professional organiza-
tion in Canada are subjects discussed
by two recent contributors to the
Journal.
Newly appointed Dean N.O. Nielsen
at the Ontario Veterinary College
implies clearly (Can Vet J 1985; 26: (2)
xiv-xv) that certain advantages
accrued to the College through the
establishment of the University of
Guelph, twenty years ago. In becoming
a founding college of the University,
OVC evolved from being administra-
tively responsible to the government of
Ontario. In its former role the College
had complete control of the under-
graduate curriculum. This was so to
some extent because of the indifference
of the University of Toronto, 60 miles
away, with which it was affiliated. This
affiliation however prevented any sig-
nificant program in research and gradu-
ate studies. Not until a Guelph based
university was imminent were a select
few of OVC's professional staff added
208
sis in sows: a comparison of the vaginal
biopsy and dopper ultrasound techniques.
Vet Rec 1979; 104: 255-258.
12. LINDAHL IL.TOTSCHJP, MARTIN PA,DZIUK PG.
Early diagnosis of pregnancy in sows by
ultrasonic amplitude-depth analysis. J
Anim Sci 1975; 40: 220-222.
13. GECELE P, DIAZ 1, SKOKNIC A. Pregnancy
diagnosis in pigs. 1: Ultrasonic method
(amplitude-depth analysis). Proc 7th Int Pig
Vet Soc Congress, Mexico City, 1982: 232.
14. ALMOND GW. A study of reproductive failure
in the sow. M.Sc. Thesis. University of
Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, 1983.
15. HUHN RG. OSWEILLER GD, SWITZER WP.
Application of the orbital sinus bleeding
technique to swine. Lab Anim Care 1969;
19: 403-405.
16. COX RI, HOSKINSON RM, WONG MSF. Antisera
to the faculty of graduate studies of the
University of Toronto.
Nielsen points out that the burgeon-
ing program of research and graduate
studies has created opportunities for
veterinarians to pursue many different
careers that were denied them twenty
years ago.
The consequent expansion of
knowledge that comes from an empha-
sis on research, has also improved the
skills and training of graduates who
choose a career in clinical practice. In
the university environment veterinary
students have benefited as well from
social and intellectual growth which
enhances their contribution to their
community.
"Is our current veterinary system
educationally sound and economically
effective?" - so asks J. F. Prescott
(Can Vet J 1985; 26: 151-154). His two
main points in seeking improvement
are that there should be one Canadian
veterinary college, to which existing
colleges should be affiliated, and one
central coordinating body should serve
to register and license veterinarians
throughout Canada.
Both education and licensure are
reactive directly to estrone sulphate. Ster-
oids 1979; 33: 549-562.
17. SNEDECOR GW, COCHRAN WG. Statistical
methods. 7th ed. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State
University Press, 1980.
18. KLEINBAUM DG, KUPPER LL, MORGENSTERN H.
Epidemiologic research - principles and
quantitative methods. Belmont, California:
Lifetime Learning Publications, 1982:
22 1-237.
19. CHANG K, HURTZ HJ, MIROCHA ci. Effects of
the mycotoxin zearalenone on swine repro-
duction. AmJ Vet Res 1979; 40: 1260-1267.
20. KURTZ HJ,CHANG K, MIROCHACH. Studies on
the effects of zearalenone (F-2) mycotoxin
on swine reproduction. Proc 7th Int Pig Vet
Soc Congress, Mexico City, 1982: 291.
within the jurisdiction of the provinces.
Criticism of this constitutional arrange-
ment can be persuasive but it is not likely
to bring about change. The head janitor
at OVC fifty years ago put it pictures-
quely when he was heard to say "the
fedrical government can't do what is
proper to be done by the providences!"
Prescott wants training in a spe-
cialty to begin before attaining the first
professional degree. Nielsen suggests
that less time for meeting the prevete-
rinary requirements might entice more
veterinary students to continue into a
program of graduate studies.
One can agree with Prescott that
"we need a national task force to
examine the development of the vete-
rinary profession in Canada. . .". Not
necessarily a task force perhaps, but
the time seems appropriate for the
Canadian Veterinary Medical Associ-
ation to express concern and make it a
priority to address the issues that con-
front the veterinary profession in Can-
ada at this time.
TREVOR LLOYD JONES
136 Cheltenham Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M4N I P9
Can Vet J 1985; 26: 208.