Effective treatment of a case of pregnancy toxemia in sheep - case report

ABSTRACT Pregnancy toxemia has a high mortality rate and few cases with effective treatment are reported, especially when associated with secondary diseases. Therefore, the present work reports the case of a sheep, which was referred to the veterinary hospital of UFMG, in the last month of pregnancy, presenting apathy, hyporexia and sternal recumbency. After the diagnosis of pregnancy toxemia, the fetuses were removed while still alive, but did not survive. Monitoring was started with blood gas analysis, blood glucose assessments and laboratory tests. The results were consistent with liver damage, which was justified by the condition of lipolysis. Treatment consisted of electrolyte replacement plus 50% glucose and potassium chloride, along with administration of antibiotics (ceftiofur, 5mg/kg/SID/IM/7 days), flunixim meglumine (2.2mg/kg/SID/IM first day and 1.1mg/kg/SID/IM on the second and third days) and omeprazole (4mg/kg/SID/oral). The patient had secondarily clinical laminitis, which was treated with cryotherapy and anti-inflammatory drugs, in addition to mastitis, using a single dose of intramammary antibiotics. The work demonstrated the effectiveness of the treatment of pregnancy toxemia, when performed early and intensively, associated with daily clinical and laboratory monitoring of the animal.摘要：妊娠毒血症（Pregnancy toxemia）病死率居高，且有效治疗的病例报道甚少，当并发继发性疾病时尤为突出。为此，本研究报道一例妊娠末期绵羊病例：该羊转诊至UFMG兽医院时，表现为精神沉郁（apathy）、食欲减退（hyporexia）及胸卧姿势（sternal recumbency）。确诊妊娠毒血症后，医护人员对其实施了活体胎儿摘除术，但胎儿最终未能存活。随后对该患羊启动监测流程，包括血气分析（blood gas analysis）、血糖检测（blood glucose assessments）及实验室检查（laboratory tests）。检测结果符合肝损伤表现，该损伤可通过脂肪分解（lipolysis）状态得到合理解释。治疗方案涵盖电解质补充联合50%葡萄糖与氯化钾，同时予以抗生素治疗（头孢噻呋（ceftiofur），5mg/kg，每日1次，肌内注射，连用7天）、氟尼辛葡甲胺（flunixim meglumine，2.2mg/kg，每日1次，肌内注射，首日给药；次日及第三日调整为1.1mg/kg，每日1次，肌内注射）及奥美拉唑（omeprazole，4mg/kg，每日1次，口服）。该患羊继发临床型蹄叶炎（clinical laminitis），同时并发乳腺炎（mastitis）：前者采用冷冻疗法（cryotherapy）与抗炎药物治疗，后者则予以单剂量乳房内给药抗生素。本研究证实，若及早开展集约化治疗，并配合每日临床与实验室监测，妊娠毒血症的治疗可取得良好疗效。