Clinical and hematological study of experimentally induced secondary copper deficiency in sheep

Abstract EN

The study was conducted on ten male Awassi sheep to evaluate the clinical and hematological changes in addition to measure serum copper level of sheep suffering from secondary copper deficiency during 4 months period.

Animals were divided randomly into two equal groups; One group was drenched with a mixture of ammonium molybdate 100 mg with 1g of sodium sulfate in 100 ml of water daily for induction of secondary copper deficiency.

The second group left without treatment as control group.

The serum copper level, and complete blood picture (Red blood cells, hemoglobin, packed cell volume, total white blood cells, granulocytes %, lymphocyte %, and monocytes %), were estimated on day zero and repeated every two weeks.

Results revealed appearance of clinical signs of secondary copper deficiency in deficient (treated) group; including emaciation of all 5 animals, loss of wool and easily to detached, bleaching around eye in one animal, change in wool color, and increased in respiratory and pulse rate compared with control group.

The clinical examination of both groups revealed no significant differences in temperature, while there was a significant (P ≤ 0.05) difference in pulse rate, and respiratory rate between treated (37.6 ± 3.07) and control (27.4 ± 1.53) group.

Copper level decreased gradually to reach (0.64 ± 0.06 ppm) which regard subnormal level with statistical significant decrease (after 2 months of treatment) in treated compared with control group.

Blood parameters included (RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH and MCHC) were recorded non significant differences along the experiment period in treated compared with control group.

Total WBC in treated group were recorded variation in the values with presence of significant gradual decrease in the treated compared with control group with non-significant differences in granulocyte %, monocyte % and lymphocyte %.