Cow & Buffalo (Livestock) Tests Cow Buffalo

Pregnancy-Associated Glycoprotein (PAG) ELISA

A PAG ELISA looks for pregnancy-associated glycoproteins, proteins made by the placenta, in the blood or milk of cows and buffaloes. Finding them helps confirm pregnancy, and the right time to test after breeding is confirmed when you book.

Sample: Serum or milk
Quantity: As advised
Report: Confirmed when you book
Collection: Free in Bhopal

What this test checks

Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs), proteins made by the placenta
Whether PAGs are present in serum or milk at a level that points to pregnancy
A result your vet reads with the service date and the last calving date

Benefits of this test

Can help confirm pregnancy from a blood or milk sample, with little handling of the animal.
Milk samples can be used for cows and buffaloes that are being milked.
Helps you and your vet find animals that are not pregnant, so breeding can be planned.
Samples from several animals can be sent and tested together.
Works alongside your vet's rectal examination or ultrasound scan.

Often discussed at these ages:Adult Cow Adult Buffalo

When your vet may advise it

Checking pregnancy after AI or natural mating, at the time the lab advises for the kit.
Finding animals that are not pregnant so your vet can plan the next step.
Rechecking an animal that tested positive earlier, as your vet advises.
When your vet prefers a blood or milk test, for example for a large group of animals.

About this test

Knowing whether a cow or buffalo is pregnant helps farmers and vets plan breeding. Finding animals that are not pregnant also lets you and your vet plan the next step sooner. Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) are proteins made by the placenta, the organ that links the growing calf to its mother. They pass into the mother's blood and milk. When the test finds them, it helps confirm that the animal is pregnant.

The PAG ELISA can be done on serum, the clear liquid from clotted blood, or on milk from an animal that is being milked. ELISA is a lab method that uses antibodies to detect a particular protein. The test works only after enough time has passed since service, which means artificial insemination (AI) or natural mating. The right timing depends on the test kit, so the lab confirms it when you book. Tell the lab the date of service and the date of the last calving for each animal.

PAG can stay in the blood for some time after a calving or after a pregnancy is lost. So a recently calved animal may test positive even when she is not pregnant again. An early pregnancy can also be lost after a positive result. For these reasons, your vet may recheck some animals later or use a rectal examination or an ultrasound scan. Clear labels on every sample help avoid mix-ups between animals. A registered veterinarian reads the result together with the breeding records and the animal's signs and history.

How to prepare

Label each sample clearly and give the lab the animal's tag number or name, the date of AI or mating and the date of the last calving. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.

Reading the result

A registered veterinarian reads the PAG result together with the service date, the last calving date and the animal's signs and history. A positive result can come from a recent calving or a lost pregnancy, and testing too early can miss a pregnancy, so your vet may recheck the animal later or confirm by a rectal examination or ultrasound scan.

Questions about PAG

How does the PAG test check pregnancy in cows?

The PAG test looks for pregnancy-associated glycoproteins, proteins made by the placenta of a pregnant cow or buffalo. When these proteins are found in the blood or milk, they help confirm pregnancy. Your vet reads the result with the service date and the animal's history.

How soon after AI can a PAG pregnancy test be done?

It depends on the test kit, so the lab confirms the right timing when you book. Testing too early can give a wrong answer, so tell the lab the date of AI or mating and the date of the last calving.

Can a PAG pregnancy test be done on milk?

Yes, the test can use milk from a cow or buffalo that is being milked, or serum from a blood sample. The lab tells you which sample suits your animals and how to collect and send it. Label each sample clearly to avoid mix-ups.

Can a cow test positive on a PAG test but not be pregnant?

Yes, this can happen. PAG can stay in the blood for a while after calving or after a pregnancy is lost, and an early pregnancy can still be lost after a positive test. Your vet may recheck the animal later by a repeat test, a rectal examination or an ultrasound scan.

Before you book this test

Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.

Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.

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