Preg-Tone
We are authorized dealers for Renco Corp. selling PREG-TONE devices. PREG-TONE is used for detecting and verifying pregnancy in South American camelids.
This is a non-invasive technique for checking pregnancy that does not require a blood-test or a veterinarian. No lights to watch! No buttons to push! Uses only loud, easy to hear tones. The PREG-TONE does not need to be seen or held during testing.
PREG-TONE is a fast, safe and accurate ultrasonic pregnancy detector for swine, sheep, alpacas, meat & dairy goats, pygmy goats, llamas, large rabbits, foxes, and numerous other mammals over 8 lbs.
Use PREG-TONE for confirmation of pregnancy in animals visiting your ranch for stud services, or females purchased or sold.
The patented PREG-TONE uses high frequency sound waves called ultrasound to detect amniotic fluid present during pregnancy. When this fluid is detected, the instrument produces a loud continuous tone. When used on an animal which is not pregnant, the instrument produces an intermittent recurring tone. The intermittent tone also indicates that good skin contact is being made.
No guessing and no question. 100% accuracy between 30 and 45 days depending on the animal type. The PREG-TONE has been tested against other ultrasound instruments by leading universities throughout the world. Their studies show the PREG-TONE as the superior instrument, in both accuracy and ease of use. (Studies available upon request).
Alpacas: Testing can begin at 30-40 days. Alpacas and llamas are tested on the left side. If unsuccessful, try the procedure on the right side. Place probe 6-8-in (15-20cm) down from the udder. (On maidens about 5-in (12 cm)). Point probe straight into the abdomen at an angle defined by the shape of the abdomen.
During testing, no lights are used, no buttons are pushed, thus attention is not diverted from the animal. A short, intermittent tone indicates good contact, while a loud, continuous tone indicates pregnancy. Since the PREG-TONE uses only loud, easy to hear tones to indicate both pregnancy and non-pregnancy, it can be clipped on the belt or kept in a pocket.
Specially chosen by Renco Corporation to assure long life, the battery pack will last for years, and give many hours of testing on one charge. The PREG-TONE automatically turns itself off when the battery needs recharging, protecting the user against erroneous readings due to insufficient power. The battery is environmentally friendly, and a battery charger is included.
Rugged all-metal construction. Small enough to slip in your pocket. All-metal construction guarantees against interference by radio waves in the atmosphere, a major accuracy problem with some ultrasound instruments. It is constructed of heavy gauge aluminum for ruggedness and ease of cleaning, yet the PREG-TONE is still lightweight and small enough to slip in your pocket.
ALPACAS FAQ: SPIT TESTING vs. ULTRASONIC PREGNANCY TESTING WITH THE RENCO ® PREG-TONE ®
Q. Why do I need to spend money on a pregnancy tester when I can just rely on the spit test?
A. The bottom line is the spit test is not an argument against ultrasonic pregnancy testing with the Preg-Tone. Interpretation of the spit test is more of an art, than an obvious yes or no indicator.
A lot depends on the temperament of the female. In general when the female is pregnant she will spit at a male if he comes near her. But many females will also spit at the male if they do not have a mature follicle on their ovary. The follicular wave is about 14 days. So for a period of about 3-5 days, there is a mature follicle and the female will be the most receptive to breeding.
After the initial breeding, if the spit test is continued every 7-10 days through out the entire 345 days of pregnancy, then you will have a fairly accurate spit test. The reason that ultrasonic testing with the Preg-Tone is a better indicator of a continued pregnancy, is that nobody will spit test every week; it’s way too much work (and the handler often is caught in the “crossfire”–very gross!!). Most will spit test for a couple weeks and maybe continue monthly if they are really energetic.
If the pregnancy terminates, especially in the early stages, due to re-absorbtion or other factors, the spit test can give an ambiguous result as to whether she is still pregnant or doesn’t have a mature follicle. Not being able to tell which is true, you would need to re-test 3 days later in order to make a determination.
So, ideally you would spit test at 7 days, 10 days, 14 days and then weekly until you are able to use the Preg-Tone at 30-40 days. Then use the Preg-Tone through out the remainder of the pregnancy–very clean, very accurate and not much work. Also, if the female slips the pregnancy you will have a much clearer idea of what is going on than with a random spit test.
Additionally, and particularly with submissive females, they may appear receptive all the time, especially to the unskilled handler. Over-breeding of females causes uterine infections.
Preg-Tone Supplemental Instructions for Alpacas and Llamas