DRAMINSKI ISCAN SCANNER OF CHOICE FOR DEFRA-APPROVED CATTLE SCAN COURSE

The Draminski iScan has proven it is now one of the leading cattle scanners in the UK by being used as the scanner of choice for a DEFRA-approved lay cattle scanning course last week (interested in attending one of these courses? 

Since 2002, it has become necessary for non-veterinarians seeking to perform rectal ultrasound examinations on cattle to obtain a 'certificate of exemption,' which is only possible by attending the DEFRA-approved four day bovine scanning course.

For the first time, this course has been taught using the Draminski iScan, which was only launched at the end of last year.

 The iScan proved highly successful for teaching due to:

• Sharp, crystal clear image, making it easier for students to interpret their images
• Tough and durable, perfect for the farm environment
• Quick and easy to clean - can simply be hosed down after use

It was possible for the students to obtain strikingly clear images of the uterus, showing its three layers -  perimetrium, myometrium and endometrium. They were taught to confirm the presence or absence of fluid inside the uterine horns, which would serve as the first piece in the puzzle towards establishing whether or not the cow was pregnant.

Above: Image on the left shows two non-pregnant uterine horns. Image on the right shows the left horn empty, with an early pregnancy in the right.

The information gathered from the appearance of the uterus could then be qualified further by following along each uterine horn in turn with the probe, to reach the corresponding ovary. In the absence of a pregnancy, the stage of follicular development and the presence or absense of a corpus luteum were used to indicate whether the cow was coming into season, or had just been bulling.

The ability of the iScan to show all of this information so clearly made doing a complete and thorough job so much easier for the trainees.

Students were also taught to recognise signs of pyometra in the uterus.

To be continued...