Elk, bison, and other seasonal breeders can be tested for pregnancy by using a quantitative test for the blood hormone "progesterone." In essence, a cow will not have an elevated progesterone concentration after the breeding season is more than a few weeks over unless she is pregnant. While a high progesterone concentration does not guarantee a live calf, a low progesterone concentration is strongly indicative of the absence of a corpus luteum (CL). This indicates that there is, or will be, no live fetus.
We also test other species, notably horses
and llamas. The
concept is the same for all mammals.
If you have any additional questions, please call or write. We will provide the plastic containers for the blood samples. Additional information is available on the other RML veterinary endocrinology pages.
The cost is $20.00 per test.
Rocky Mountain Instrumental Laboratories, Inc.
108 Coronado Ct.
Ft. Collins, CO 80525
970-266-8108
LAST UPDATE: 20 JANUARY 2008