Diagnostic Indicators and Therapeutic Evaluation of Pregnancy Toxaemia in Goats

Periparturient mortality in goats have a great economic impact on the livelihood of marginal farmers. Pregnancy toxaemia, a metabolic disease in small ruminants occurs as a result of negative energy balance consequent to enhanced requirement for glucose by the developing fetuses in the last trimester (last 6 to 4 weeks) of gestation. The present study was aimed to identify diagnostic and prognostic indicators of pregnancy toxaemia.

During the period October 2016 to September 2018, a total of 516 adult non descriptive does were brought to Veterinary University Peripheral Hospital, Madhavaram Milk Colony, Chennai -51, of which 264 (51.16%) were treated for medical conditions. Among the does treated for various medical conditions, 72 does were in their last six weeks of gestation carrying twins/triplets and presented with the history of off feed. They were subjected to determination of blood β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) level by means of a portable blood ketone and glucose monitoring system and qualitative urinalysis using urine dip stick. Does with BHBA level >0.8 mmol/L and <1.6 mmol/L were classified as sub-clinical pregnancy toxaemic group (n=12) and BHBA level >1.6 mmol/L were classified as clinical pregnancy toxaemic group (n=12) and subjected to therapy while the remaining 48 does had BHBA levels <0.8 mmol/L. The control animals were selected from adult Tellicherry does in the age group of 2 to 4 years maintained at Livestock Farm Complex (LFC), Madhavaram Milk Colony, Chennai-600 051.

All the twelve does of sub-clinical pregnancy toxaemic group recovered completely with a cure rate of 100%, while in the clinical pregnancy toxaemic group the cure rate was only 33%. Reliable diagnostic indicators of pregnancy toxaemia include blood βhyroxybutyric acid concentration (;0.8 mmol/L) and presence of ketone body, glucose and protein in urine, while hypergly-caemia in advanced pregnancy toxaemic does indicate fetal death.