Changes in blood and physio-clinical indices of West African Dwarf goat during road transport

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the effect of road transportation on some blood and physioclinical indices in West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. Nineteen (19) WAD goats aged between 6 and 8 months weighing between 4.16Kg and 5.90Kg were transported in a wagon for 3 hours 18 minutes. Collection of data on rectal temperature (RT) and heart rate (HR), and blood sampling were carried out just before loading the animals into the wagon and repeated immediately on arrival at the destination. The blood samples were analyzed for packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (HB), red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil (NEU), lymphocyte (LYM), eosinophil (EOS), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) concentrations were also determined. Except the reduced (P<0.05) haemoglobin (Hb) after transportation, the results showed that haematological parameters and pulse rate were comparable before departure and on arrival(P>0.05).Rectal temperature was however slightly higher(P<0.05) on arrival compared to departure in mixed sex and male goats. Serum AST, ALT and ALP were higher (P<0.05) before transportation compared to the values obtained on arrival. The findings showed no remarkable influence of transport by road on the haematological parameters and pulse rate of WAD goats except reduced HB,serum AST, ALT and ALP and increasedrectal temperature observed after transportation.

Keywords: goats, physiological parameters, stress, transport