How to Choose a Bovine Ultrasound Machine

Affordable, High-Quality Bovine Ultrasounds

A bovine ultrasound machine allows farmers and veterinarians to clearly view the reproductive tract of a cow (or bovine animal, including oxen and buffalo) with real-time, high-quality images.

Although transrectal palpation is still the most common method to determine whether a cow is pregnant, being able to see (in real-time) the reproductive tract via ultrasonography offers insights and diagnostic capabilities for better, more efficient pregnancy care, including:

• Determining a cow’s pregnancy status
• Evaluating her ovaries
• Completing several other bovine pregnancy assessments

Vets and trained farmers alike can benefit from on-farm veterinary ultrasounds that include the right combination of features for bovine imaging.

This post will explore some of the key features and technical components of bovine ultrasounds, with the goal of helping you make an informed, profit-friendly purchasing decision.

How Ultrasound Can Improve Bovine Pregnancy Detection and Care

Ultrasound is regarded as the safest and most beneficial tool for real-time diagnostic imaging in cows, bulls, or other animals in the bovinae family. By producing clear ultrasound images of soft tissues, including the reproductive tract, a cattle ultrasound highlights certain advantages over other methods. These advantages include:

• Earlier pregnancy detection
• Earlier identification of twins
• Earlier fetal gender identification
• More accurate fetal aging information
• Confirmations of fetal viability
• Improved ovarian and uterine structure evaluation
• More accurate information about the best insemination times

Because vet equipment can be expensive (more on that below), owners tend to maximize the profitability of their ultrasound scanner by also using it for non-pregnancy applications. Through ultrasound, you can scan other regions of the animal to accurately diagnose and apply treatments to infections and damages of the mammary gland, lungs, liver, bladder, and kidneys. You can also better identify musculoskeletal and visceral structures.

The fact is, many vet ultrasounds are equipped with the necessary features and technologies to ensure that the entire bovine family stays healthy.

What to Look for in a Bovine Ultrasound Machine

There are no rights or wrongs when choosing veterinary ultrasound equipment, but you should know what key features provide the most benefit for specific needs and requirements. Additionally, because you’ll be using the ultrasound to image bovine animals often in unpredictable on-farm conditions, it’s helpful to filter your search by looking for veterinary ultrasounds with specific qualities, such as:

• Portable
• Water-proof
• Robust
• Comfortable
• Durable

Also, you may need to carry the ultrasound to or around the farm, so it’s recommended to choose an ultrasound with a long battery life.

In terms of imaging, a quality bovine ultrasound unit will have good image quality so that you can better visualize soft tissues and the reproductive tract. Many bovine ultrasounds vary in terms of image resolution, the level of power output, size, whether or not it has Doppler (color or pulsed wave), and whether it has DICOM technology.

As always, look for a bovine ultrasound that provides the size, weight, and image quality that you’ll need.

Portability and Durability are Fundamental Features

Among the many different imaging features of a veterinary ultrasound for bovine use, perhaps the most important characteristics include portability and durability.

In emergency situations when you have to rush to ailing cows, a lightweight and easy-to-carry ultrasound can be life saving, helping you get to the animal faster and more conveniently.

Furthermore, a quality bovine ultrasound should be capable of bearing light abuse and disturbances. Due to the nature of the exam and the unpredictable behavior of the cattle, an ultrasound machine could easily be bumped, shaken, or dropped when dealing with an uncooperative animal.

Although small handheld ultrasound machines are popular for this purpose, they are also limited. Handheld devices have a small screen, poorer image quality, and limited image optimization features. Larger portable ultrasound machines have better image quality, improved features, and more versatility for other veterinary needs such as diagnostic use or musculoskeletal imaging. For the most basic reproductive needs, a handheld or small portable ultrasound machine is typically a good choice.