Evaluation of three therapeutic alternatives for the early treatment of ovine pregnancy toxaemia.
BACKGROUND
Ovine pregnancy toxaemia is a common metabolic disorder of ewes due to increased foetal energy requirements in late pregnancy. This pathology is a metabolic condition characterized by hypoglycaemia and hyperketonaemia resulting in the inability of the animal to maintain an adequate energy balance. The response to treatment is effective, if it is started in the early stages of the disease, when irreversible neurological injuries have not yet been established. The aim was to evaluate three therapeutic alternatives to effectively reverse the disease process in its early stages. For this, thirty adult Corriedale ewes, pregnant with a single lamb, were randomly separated in three groups of ten animals each, at day 130 of gestation. From that day onwards, ewes were locked up for forage fasting until glycaemia reached clinical values defining sub-clinical pregnancy toxaemia (1.59 ± 0.24 mmol/L). After fasting, ewes grazed and received a treatment for 4 days: 50 ml i.v. infusions of hypertonic glucose and 20 UI insulin/ewe/day s.c. or 100 ml/sheep/12 h of glycerol together with propylene glycol oral solution or fed with pasture supplemented with two daily intakes 300 g/sheep of cracked corn. Glycaemia and ß-hydroxybutyrate were determined in all the animals from the beginning of fasting until the completion of the treatment.


RESULTS
Fasting caused a decline in blood glucose in the 3 groups. This decline continued until fasting was withdrawn and treatment began. Thereafter blood glucose increased in all three groups, although in the group supplemented with glycerol and propylene glycol it started to increase significantly after 12 h. The values of ß-hydroxybutyrate decreased in the 3 groups at the start of treatment, and this decline was more pronounced earlier on and in the group supplemented with glycerol and propylene glycol. We found no significant differences between all experimental groups. No animal showed clinical signs of pregnancy toxaemia throughout the research.


CONCLUSIONS
The three treatments administered to sheep affected by sub-clinical pregnancy toxaemia were able to restore normal concentration of glucose and ß-hydroxybutyrate in blood, although per os administration of 100 ml/sheep/12 h of glycerol with propylene glycol, was the most successful treatment, normalizing the aforementioned biochemical parameters in a shorter time.
Pathology Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of La República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
L
L
Cal-Pereyra
Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy Veterinary Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of León, León, 24071 Spain.
J R
JR
González-Montaña
Veterinary Hospital, Veterinary Faculty, University of La República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
A
A
Benech
Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Mexico State, Toluca, Mexico.
J
J
Acosta-Dibarrat
Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy Veterinary Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of León, León, 24071 Spain.
Mj
M
Martín
Pathology Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of La República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
S
S
Perini
Pathology Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of La República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Mc
M
Abreu
Veterinary Hospital, Veterinary Faculty, University of La República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
S
S
Da Silva
Pathology Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of La República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
P
P
Rodríguez
Glycaemia; Glycerol; Pregnancy toxaemia; Propylene glycol; Sheep; ß-hydroxybutyrate