Rossdales Laboratories is delighted to be continuing our collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) investigating umbilical cord torsion (UCT) in thoroughbreds as a cause of equine pregnancy loss. This research, funded by the Alborada Trust, continues to widen our understanding of UCT – a diagnosis first characterised by our consultant pathologist Katherine Whitwell FRCVS in the 1970s at the Animal Health Trust.
Sadly, one in 25 UK thoroughbred pregnancies result in pregnancy loss during mid to late gestation, a figure that has shown no significant improvement over the last 30 years. This results in the loss of approximately £1.1 million for owners every year as well as vet costs in the region of £1.2 million. The most common cause of this in the UK, accounting for nearly half of cases sent to a laboratory, is UCT. This is the excessive twisting of the umbilical cord which leads to blockage of the blood supply and the subsequent death of the foetus and is usually associated with increased umbilical cord length.
The project aims to continue to define and validate diagnostic criteria for this enigmatic cause of pregnancy loss and will explore causation as well as develop novel diagnostic tools to enable veterinary surgeons to detect and monitor the condition.”
For more information on the study, please visit the RVC website page for this research project.