title: Usefulness of clinical observations and blood chemistry values for predicting clinical outcomes in dairy goats with pregnancy toxaemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pregnancy toxaemia (PT) is a disease that affects pregnant goats during their last month of gestation and is characterized by a high case fatality rate. This study involved 32 does maintained on a commercial dairy goat farm that were diagnosed with PT. A physical examination was performed on and haematology parameters obtained from each doe, at the time of diagnosis. The data from the 24 PT goats that died was compared with the corresponding data from the 8 PT goats that survived.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Polypnea, swollen limbs, anorexia with absence of ruminal motility, recumbency, nervous signs and drooping ears were the most frequently observed clinical manifestations. Nineteen out of 21 recumbent goats died. Sixteen out of 17 goats with anorexia and absence of ruminal motility died. Mean beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) values in the goats that died were not significantly different from those in goats that survived. The blood values for pH and pCO2(p< 0.005) as well as for HCO3-, BE and K+(p< 0.001) were significantly lower in the goats that died than in those that survived.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical signs most indicative of a poor prognosis are anorexia with absence of ruminal motility and recumbency. Among the blood parameters to be considered, hypokalaemia and metabolic acidosis are the most relevant. Goats with PT have a high mortality and their condition can deteriorate very fast. Based on the authors's experience, a good strategy to minimize the economic losses caused by PT is to focus on the offspring survival rate since an early decision (induction of kidding or caesarian surgery) can increase the number of alive kids.
authors: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), DC, Universidade de Lisboa, Polo Universitário da Ajuda, Lisbon, 1300-477 Portugal.
authors: Miguel S
authors: MS
authors: Lima
authors: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), DC, Universidade de Lisboa, Polo Universitário da Ajuda, Lisbon, 1300-477 Portugal.
authors: Júlia M
authors: JM
authors: Silveira
authors: INIAV, EUVG, CIISA, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors: Nuno
authors: N
authors: Carolino
authors: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal (CIISA), DC, Universidade de Lisboa, Polo Universitário da Ajuda, Lisbon, 1300-477 Portugal.
authors: Luis P
authors: LP
authors: Lamas
authors: Barão e Barão Lda, Coutada Velha, Benavente, 2130-010 Portugal.
authors: Rita A
authors: RA
authors: Pascoal
authors: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA.
authors: Charles A
authors: CA
authors: Hjerpe
keywords: Clinical signs; Goats; Hypokalaemia; Metabolic acidosis; Pregnancy toxaemia; Prognosis