Can you tell me the pro's and con's of both hcg and ovuplant? Which one is supposed to be better, and why?
Jos
Posted on Tuesday, October 31, 2000 - 03:49 pm:
This topic promises to be a hot one for debate for some time to come yet!
hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) has been used successfully to encourage ovulation in many mares for years, but there are a few that will not respond. It is a large molecule protein, which causes the mare to produce antibodies to it once it is used. It has been hypothesized by many that this results in a refractory response and lowered efficiency if it must be used on a subsequent estrus if the mare does not become pregnant. There are others that will argue just as vehemently that although it's use may cause antibodies, there is no reduction of efficiency in encouraging ovulation on subsequent cycles.
When Ovuplant (the GnRH analogue Deslorelin) first came onto the market it was heralded as avoiding all the evils that hCG use may cause and having a higher ovulation-inducing success rate, with more accurate results. It has since been found that it has it's own, albeit different evils. The biggest drawback (after cost, which is approximately twice that of hCG) is that anestrus has been seen to be induced in some mares that do not become pregnant during the estrus on which it is used. This has led to some practitioners implanting it, and then removing the implant 2 days or so later, which of course is an additional cost.
As to which one is better....? Well I guess that depends upon your viewpoint. If the hCG works for your mare, then that is probably better as it is cheaper. If it doesn't then the Ovuplant is!
Anonymous (63.164.164.114)
Posted on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 02:27 pm:
New to the business of breeding mares, we have enlisted the help of our vet to ultra-sound and inseminate our mares. Our vet regularly practices inserting an Ovuplant under the skin on our mares' necks when we inseminate them. The Ovuplant is not removed thereafter. I have several questions that I would like to have answered; How long does it take for the Ovuplant to fully dissolve and no longer affect the mare hormonally? Are there any more adverse effects of leaving an Ovuplant in besides anestrus? -I've heard rumor that Ovuplant (not being removed) can be a cause of miscarriage.... Is this true? How much does using Ovuplant increase your chances of acquiring a pregnancy when used at the time of insemination?
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