Pregnancy Diagnosis in Export Feeder Cattle

Risks, Myths, and Opportunities

What’s it all about?

Animal Welfare Risks• Unsuitable environment and poor

outcomes for neonatal calves

export depots

livestock vessels

destination feedlots

• Inadequate skills and resources to care for neonatal calves

• Risk of poor outcomes for cow due to abortion, dystocia, metritis etc.

Quantifying the Problem?

• Anecdotal reports common, investigations rare

• Data not available

Depots and RP’s?

Shipboard?

ESCAS?

Total females exported?

• Spectrum of skills and accuracy of pregnancy testing

NT/WA accredited testers, vets, PregCHECK® vets

Myths & Misconceptions

• You don’t need a vet degree to pregnancy test

Basic skills (90% accuracy) versus Competency (100% accuracy)

• 100 % accuracy is not achievable

Competency = 100% (>99.9% is reasonable goal)

• Vets are not accessible, or too expensive

470 PregCHECK® accredited vets around Australia

vets are cost competitive with non-veterinary contractors

ACV position: If PregCHECK ® accredited;

Pre-export period 30days 45days, no additional risk

Technique vs Technology• Manual palpation

the Gold Standard for non-pregnant cattle Palpation of the entire non-pregnant uterus 100% accuracy (NDP) in cattle < 6 weeks pregnant

• Ultrasound Good for detecting most pregnancies (contrasting uterine

fluid) Difficult to examine entire non-pregnant uterus Poorly suited for export feeder cattleMay be used by a veterinarian only. See EAN 2016-22

• Blood Testing ~99% accuracy, depending on stage of pregnancy not diagnostic in ~4% of animals (need rechecking) Poorly suited for export feeder cattle

Techs Vs Vets

• Competent testers* allowed in NT & WA, but not QLD

79 accredited by NT DPI&F

4 approved by WA Vet Surgeons Board

QLD Vet Surgeons regulations under review

CCA and MLA exploring national accreditation options

• Some Contractors and DIY testers highly competent, but quality of testing is variable

• Training is minimal and assessment standards are poor

Skills, training & Accreditation

Competent tester* Vet PregCHECK® Vet

Training 2 day courseAHCLSK408

Veterinary Degree

Post-graduate mentoring(usually 1-2 years min)

Experience& Currency

None required500 hd/year

VariableNone

>2000 head minimum1000 hd/year

Examination 20 head Yes/No onlyNDP < 8 weeks

Vet School examination

100 Head, Yes/No plus foetal ageingNDP < 6 weeks

Accreditation NT DPIR, WA VSB, QLD not permitted

State VSB Australian Cattle Veterinarians

Accuracy 90-100% ??? 90-100% ??? 100%

Accountability None? VSB regulations AVA code of conductACV investigation and dispute resolution process

Insurance PI None? Expected Expected$5-$10,000,000

Risk? Basic skills Competency

So what?

• Manual palpation is the most suitable method

• PregCHECK® Accredited Vet = Gold Standard

• Other providers can be good/bad/indifferent

• PDx for Certification versus Management?

• A Veterinary Certificate;

= Credibility

= Accountability

= Liability

Challenges and Opportunities

• Calving’s and unmanaged pregnancies are preventable and unacceptable

• Squandered opportunity to utilise existing data

• Morbidity data is no good unless you do something

with it (data systems and epidemiological analysis)

• What is industry’s tolerable limit?

• How do we achieve that?