Clinico-Biochemical Diagnosis of Pregnancy Toxemia in Ewes with Special Reference to Novel Biomarkers

Fifty five ewes aged from 3-5 years were included in this study; these animals were selected from sheep reared in different villages in Menofia and Behera governorates, Egypt. All animals were subjected to careful clinical and laboratory investigations. Accordingly, the selected animals were divided into three groups. Group (A) consisted of 20 ewes showed signs of pregnancy toxemia. Group (B) consisted of 20 heavily pregnant ewes in two or more fetuses determined by ultrasonography. Group (C) consisted of 15 non pregnant ewes. Clinical examination of ewes with pregnancy toxemia reveals anorexia, loss of condition, nervous movement of the eye which is bulging and roaring, grinding of the teeth, champing of the jaw with salivation, spasms in the neck and back muscles and lateral recumbency, odor of acetone in the breath , drowsiness and stiffness of the body. Biochemical findings reveals significance decrease of glucose, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, globulin, T3, T4, calcium, sodium and potassium in group A (pregnancy toxemia) when compared to groups B (heavily pregnant) C (non-pregnant), also significance increase of triglyceride, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-Hydroxybutyrate, cortisol, AST, ALT, GGT LDH, urea and creatinine when compared to groups B C ewes. Further, ewes displaying symptoms of pregnancy toxemia (group A) had a significance increase in serum haptoglobin (Hp), amyloid A and C-reactive protein markers compared to heavily pregnant and non-pregnant ewes.