Clinical and Biochemical Study of Pregnancy Toxemia in Iraqi Ewes

Pregnancy toxemia (PT), also known as ketosis or twin lamb disease, is a group of in-sequence metabolic disorders usually observed in the last pregnancy period of ewes. Blood samples from 60 Awassi ewes were collected, including 50 ewes suffering from PT and 10 healthy ewes (2-8 years old) as a control group. All of them were in their final month of pregnancy from different regions of Salah Aldin Governorate, Iraq. The samples were collected between October 2021 and February 2022. Biochemical analysis of serum concentrations of all parameters was performed using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer, except for the beta-hydroxybutyrate and non-esterified fatty acids that were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The results of the clinical criteria tests for temperature, respiration, and pulse showed nonsignificant differences (P<0.05) in the infected animals, compared to the healthy group. Clinical signs included depression, loss of appetite, weight loss, lying down, odor of ketogenic bodies through breathing, inability to walk, neurological signs, dental grinding, jaundice, blindness, bloat, dystocia, animal death, and fetal death. Based on the results of the biochemical parameters tests of the blood, a significant increase (P<0. 05) was observed in the parameters of the results of beta-hydroxybutyrate, non-esterified fatty acids, triglycerides, total bilirubin, and liver enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT) in the animals affected by PT, compared to the control group. However, a significant decrease (P<0.05) was observed in the parameters of glucose, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, and globulin in the affected animals, compared to the healthy group. Concerning the association between disease and oxidative stress criteria, the infected animals showed a substantial (P<0.05) increase in malondialdehyde concentration and a significant (P<0.05) drop in glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels.