IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Braun, B.C.; Frank, A.; Dehnhard, M.; Voigt, C.C.; Vargas, A.; G”ritz, F.; Jewgenow, K. | |
| Pregnancy diagnosis in urine of Iberian lynx (_Lynx pardinus_) | |
| 2009 Theriogenology (71): 754-761 | |
Diagnosis of pregnancies is an important management tool for the Iberian lynx Conservation Breeding Program, a program geared to recover the world's most endangered felid. Non-invasive methods such as fecal hormone analyses are not applicable to the lynx, since fecal progestin does not follow the typical pregnancy pattern of felids. Therefore, we aimed to test whether urine can be used as an alternative substance for pregnancy diagnosis in the Iberian lynx. Progesterone immunoreactive metabolites were determined in urine samples of pregnant and non-pregnant females before and during breeding season. Additionally, we used the Witness1Relaxin test to determine relaxin in blood and urine. No differences were found in progestin concentrations determined in urine samples collected from pregnant and non-pregnant animals between day 1 and 65 following mating. Although theWitness1Relaxin test was positive in serum samples collected from animals between day 32 and 56 of pregnancy, it failed in both fresh and frozen urine samples collected from the same stage of pregnancy. Aweak relaxin reaction in urine samples collected from animals between day 29 and 46 of pregnancy was detectable after urines were concentrated by ultrafiltration (>50). Concentrated samples obtained from non-pregnant and early pregnant animals yielded negative test results. In conclusion, the Witness1Relaxin test can be applied for pregnancy diagnosis in Iberian lynx in both serum and concentrated urine samples obtained during the second half of pregnancy. A positive relaxin test indicates an ongoing pregnancy, whereas negative tests must be judged carefully as hormone concentrations might be below detection thresholds. |
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