Early diagnosis of pseudopregnancy in goats by ultrasonography and response to treatment using cloprostenol sodium

Abstract

Pseudopregnancy is a state of temporary infertility in goats characterised by the accumulation of sterile fluid in the uterus in the absence of a foetus with persistent corpus luteum. B-mode ultrasonographic examination of goats on day 60 post-breeding was conducted for differential diagnosis of pregnancy, non-pregnancy and pseudopregnancy. Pseudopregnant does diagnosed on day 60 (day 0) post-breeding (Group I, n=8) were treated with three doses of 125μg of cloprostenol sodium (i/m) 10 days apart and were bred by natural service on induced oestrus after the third dose of treatment. The response to treatment was evaluated and compared with normal cycling does (Group II, n=8) which were mated on spontaneous oestrus. The uterine wall thickness measured ultrasonographically on day 0 in group I and on day 60 post-breeding in pregnant does of group II were 0.63 ± 0.02 and 0.66±0.03 cm, respectively (P >0.05). Serum progesterone concentration estimated on day 0, day of the evacuation of uterine fluid, days 10 and 20 in group I and on day 60 post-breeding in group II were 2.73 ± 0.19, 0.78± 0.19, 1.67 ± 0.10, 1.72 ± 0.19 and 3.64± 0.16 ng/mL, respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed between day 0 in group I and day 60 in group II; within group I, between day 0 and the day of evacuation and between the day of evacuation and day 10. Pregnancy diagnosis on day 60 post-breeding revealed a conception rate of 50 and 75 per cent in groups I and II, respectively (P>0.05).