title: Immobilization (restraint) stress in desert sheep and goats, and the influence of pretreatment with xylazine or sodium betaine thereon.
abstract: Some behavioral, clinical, biochemical and haematological parameters were studied in Desert (Najdi) sheep and goats subjected to the acute and unavoidable stressful stimuli of immobilization. The effect of pretreatment with xylazine (n = 6) or sodium betaine (n = 6) on the responses of these animals has also been investigated. The immobilization stress resulted in increased vocalization and in variable and statistically insignificant increases in heart pulse and respiratory rates. In the two species, immobilization stress significantly elevated the plasma concentration of cortisol (from about 35.2 to about 83.8 mmol/L) and glucose (from 3.1 to 4.6 mmol/L), and decreased the concentration of magnesium (from 0.81 to 0.65 mmol/L). The endogenous thiocyanate concentration was unaffected. The immobilization stress also insignificantly decreased the haematocrit (PCV), and the number of lymphocytes, and increased the concentration of haemoglobin. Pretreatment of sheep and goats with xylazine at a dose of 0.01 mg/kg, via the intravenous route significantly alleviated the effects induced by the stressful stimulus. Pretreatment of the two species with sodium betaine (10 mg/kg/day for 3 days), however, produced variable and insignificant effects. There were no significant differences between sheep and goats in the responses to the immobilization stress, except in vocalization, which was more pronounced in sheep than in goats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Al Gaseem University, Burydah, Al-Gaseem, Saudi Arabia. alialqarawi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al-Qarawi
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001622:Betaine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003889:Desert Climate; D006041:Goats / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000662:veterinary*; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D014991:Xylazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D014991:Xylazine; D001622:Betaine