Etiology, antenatal diagnosis and therapy of fetal complications of gestation in large and small domestic ruminants Purohit Govind Narayan1,*, Gaur Mitesh2 1Department of Veterinary Gynecology and Obstetrics, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, India 2Livestock Research Station Surti Buffalo, Vallabhnagar, Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Science Bikaner, Rajasthan, India *Corresponding author: gnpobs@gmail.com
Online published on 22 December, 2011. Abstract The etiology, antenatal diagnosis and therapy of common fetal complications of gestation in the large and small domestic ruminants are reviewed. The complications include those because of fetal death like abortion, fetal mummification and fetal maceration or because of the fetal developmental abnormality like fetal monsters, fetal dropsical conditions or ectopic location of the fetus. The etiology of most fetal gestational complications (except abortions) continues to be poorly understood. Most fetal complications (except fetal mummification and maceration) are identified at the time of parturition/abortion in the large and small domestic ruminants due to absence of routine evaluation of mid to late pregnancies and the paucity of data on growth patterns of the fetus and its annexes. Ultrasonographic evaluations of cattle and sheep and maternal hormonal and protein estimations have helped in the antenatal diagnosis of a few fetal complications in recent years. Similar descriptions for the buffalo and goat are largely unavailable. When fully developed, such methods can serve as a useful adjunct to the present methods of evaluation of fetal well being. Therapies for fetal complications are not specific and include those involved for the termination of pregnancy and the care of the dam at the time of parturition. It is concluded that the antenatal diagnosis of most of the commonly occurring fetal complications of gestation is possible with ultrasonography in cattle, sheep and goats and such pregnancies should be carefully monitored or terminated. Top Keywords Abortion, antenatal, domestic ruminants, dropsy, fetal mummification, ultra-sonography. Top |