Cow & Buffalo (Livestock) Tests Cow Buffalo

Trichomonas foetus (Bull) - Culture & RT-PCR

The Trichomonas foetus test looks for Tritrichomonas foetus, a parasite passed on during mating, in a bull's sheath wash or a cow's vaginal mucus. It can help explain repeat breeding and early pregnancy loss.

Sample: Preputial wash or vaginal mucus
Quantity: As advised
Report: Confirmed when you book
Collection: Free in Bhopal

What this test checks

Live Tritrichomonas foetus grown from a sheath wash or vaginal mucus
Its DNA by PCR, which confirms the parasite's identity

When your vet may advise it

Many cows or buffaloes returning on heat after natural mating with the same bull
Early abortions or pus in the womb in several animals of a herd
Before buying a breeding bull or bringing it into a new herd
Routine checks of bulls used for natural mating, when your vet advises

About this test

Tritrichomonas foetus, also called Trichomonas foetus, is a tiny parasite spread during natural mating. Bulls usually look healthy but can carry it in the sheath, the skin fold around the penis, for a long time. Infected cows and buffaloes may lose the pregnancy early and come back on heat. A veterinarian collects a sheath wash from the bull or mucus from the vagina. Culture lets the parasite grow so it can be seen moving, and PCR checks its DNA so harmless look-alikes are not mistaken for it. One negative test does not clear a bull. A registered veterinarian interprets the result with the herd's breeding records.

How to prepare

The sample is taken by a vet. Your vet will tell you whether the bull should be rested from mating first, and how to send the sample quickly. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.

Questions about Trichomonas foetus (Bull) - Culture & RT-PCR

Why does my cow keep coming back on heat after mating with a bull?

Repeat breeding has many causes, including hormone problems, poor heat timing, nutrition and infections passed on by the bull, such as Tritrichomonas foetus and Campylobacter fetus. Your vet examines the cows and may test the bull and the herd to find the reason.

Can a bull carry Trichomonas without looking sick?

Yes. Bulls usually show no signs and still pass the parasite to cows at mating. That is why vets test the bull directly, and why one negative sample may be followed by repeat tests before a bull is cleared.

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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