ULTRASONOGRAPHY PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS IN LL AMA AND ALPACA

Ultrasonic diagnosis of gestation were performed in fifty-one animals (ultrasonograph Pie Data with a linear probe of 5 MHz) by transrectal and/or transabdominal routes in llamas and alpacas for which the date of parturition was recorded. This allowed the accuracy and reliability of the positive and negative diagnoses to be determined between 25 an d 240 days of gestation. The same criteria have also been used for ear ly diagnosis of gestation between 25 and 100 days. Whatever the stage of pregnancy, the accuracy of the positive diagnoses and the reliabili ty of the negative diagnoses were 100 %, while the accuracy of the neg ative diagnoses and the reliatibility of the positive diagnoses ranged between were 90,9 p. cent and 97,4 p. cent. This type of examination provides images characteristic of age-type. The breeding of animals fr om the camel family is developing in France and the use of ultrasonogr aphy is an efficient method, even when used infrequently, for the diag nosis of gestation.