Journal of Camel Practice and Research

This study was carried out to describe the gross and microscopic hepatic lesions of dromedary camels slaughtered at Al omran abattoir in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The grossly affected livers from 120 camels with different ages, sexes, and unknown history were collected from freshly slaughtered animals, and examined grossly and microscopically. The total number of liver lesions recorded in this study were 43 (36.66%) cases out of 120 samples of camel livers collected. The pathological changes observed in this study, were degenerative changes and focal hepatic necrosis (10, 8.33%), partial liver cirrhosis (8, 6.66 %), diffuse liver cirrhosis (6, 5 %), liver abscesses (5, 4.16 %), hydatid cysts (4, 3.33 %), haemorrhages and congestion (4, 3.33%), chronic suppurative hepatitis (3, 2.5%) and pigmentation (3, 2.5%). In the present study, degenerative changes, necrosis and liver cirrhosis were the most common hepatic lesions affecting the collected liver samples of camels during the study period. In some liver sections, partially degenerated parasitic ova and hydatid cysts were identified as cause of focal necrosis and calcification.