[Clinical and metabolic response in goats with iodopenia after administration of potassium iodide]

A clinical picture and dynamics of metabolic indicators were examined in 40 goats suffering from iodopenia; the examinations took place in the course of potassium iodide application. Crystalline kalium iodatum was administered to all animals in barley groats at a dose of 0.5 g per animal/day within three weeks; then a three-week withdrawal followed and the treatment was repeated within the same time period. The thyroid gland consistency started to change at the end of the 3rd week of treatment when the tough elastic to tough thyroid became the soft one. The goiter started to disappear gradually from the 8th week of experiment and the physiological state of this organ was normal in most animals in the 11th week. Among the biochemical indicators, the most sensitive response to treatment was recorded in iodine and thyroxine concentrations in blood serum since their significant increase in comparison with the values before potassium iodide application was obvious on day 14 of treatment (P < 0.01). Return of total lipids and cholesterol content to the physiological limits occurred within two weeks while in glucose it was in the 7th week of treatment. A significant increase in serum immunoglobulins was recorded from day 14 to the end of experiment (P < 0.01). Among the minerals analyzed, positive responses in blood serum to potassium iodide intake were determined in the concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, copper and zinc. Application of potassium iodide to affected goats had positive effects on the dynamics of leukocytes from the end of the 2nd week (P < 0.01), of erythrocytes from the 7th week (P < 0.01), of hemoglobin and hematocrit value at the end of experiment (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, resp.).