Application of the electrocardiography method for the diagnosis of foaling in horses

Abstract

Diagnosis of pregnancy is a responsible and integral procedure in the list of measures aimed at obtaining a healthy horse population. Pregnancy confirmation can be performed using different methods, with ultrasound examination (US) being the most widespread and universal. However, this method has some limitations and disadvantages. An alternative to the ultrasound method for diagnosing pregnancy and monitoring the fetus in the middle and late stages of pregnancy can be the electrocardiography (ECG) method. A description of this method for recording the biopotentials of the fetal heart is found in Soviet and modern foreign literature. However, this method of research is not reflected in modern Russian literature and in practice has been undeservedly forgotten. The purpose of this study is to update data on the described diagnostic method, as well as to assess the possibility and reliability of using the ECG method for diagnosing and monitoring pregnancy in horses.The experiment involved a Hanoverian mare whose pregnancy was confirmed by ultrasound. ECG registration was performed on days 121, 150, 184, 214, 245, 276, 304, 335 of pregnancy.As a result of the research, the following was established. The earliest period of pregnancy at which it was possible to detect a fetal ECG was 150 days. By the 11th month of pregnancy, there was a clear trend towards a decrease in the fetal heart rate and a significant increase in the voltage of the fetal teeth.This type of research is easily reproducible in the field, does not require expensive equipment, is characterized by a high level of objectivity of the data obtained and can be recommended for use in the daily practice of an equine veterinarian. As a research prospect, to identify general patterns and distinguish between states of conditional norm and pathology, it can be recommended to conduct further studies with a larger sample of animals.