title: Excitability scores of goats administered ascorbic acid and transported during hot-dry conditions.
abstract: In this study, we investigated the effect of ascorbic acid (AA) administration on goat excitability due to transportation. Ten goats administered AA (p.o.) at 100 mg/kg of body weight before transportation served as the experimental group, and seven goats administered only 10 ml/kg of sterile water (p.o.) served as controls. Excitability scores were recorded for each goat; when weighed, before, immediately after, and 3 h after 8 h of transportation. A score of one to four was allocated to each goat; higher scores represent greater excitability. Immediately after transportation, excitability scores decreased significantly, especially those of control goats (p < 0.001). At 3 h posttransportation, the excitability scores of animals in the experimental group were not significantly (p > 0.05) different from their pre-transportation normal values, whereas those of control goats were significantly lower (p < 0.01). The correlation i.e. the relationship between excitability score values and percent excitability (percentage of goat with particular excitability score) for different excitability score group 3 h post-transportation was positive and highly significant (p < 0.001), in both experimental and control goats. Our results indicate that road transportation induces considerable stress (depression) in goats as evidenced by a lower excitability score posttransportation. Moreover, the administration of AA pretransportation facilitated the transition from a state of depression to excitation. In conclusion, AA administration to animals prior to transportation may ameliorate the depression often encountered after road transportation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Ayo
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Minka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mamman
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006041:Goats / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006813:Humidity; D008297:Male; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014186:Transportation
chemical_list: D001205:Ascorbic Acid