Anaesthetic Indices and Vital Parameters of PPR-Infected West African Dwarf Goats after Epidural Lignocaine Anaesthesia

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), is an acute, highly contagious viral disease of sheep and goats associated with high morbidity and mortality. Often times, veterinarians are faced with sick goats presented with co-existing emergency clinical conditions such as foreign body impaction, ruminal tympany, dystocia that require surgical intervention, necessitating the use of anaesthesia. The aim of this study, was to assess and compare the anaesthetic indices and vital parameters of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats naturally infected with PPR before and after epidural anaesthesia with plain lignocaine and also to compare the measured anaesthetic indices with those of healthy goats. Ten goats were used for this study sorted into infected and non- infected goats. The vital parameters of the goats were taken two days prior to the commencement of the experiment. The anaesthetic indices of the animals were measured. The goat’s rectal temperature (RT) and respiratory rate (RR) were immediately measured after the epidural injection and subsequently at 15 minute intervals over a 120-minute period using a mercury-in-glass thermometer (˚C) and by visual observation of the thoraco-abdominal excursion respectively. Heart rate was measured in beats/min with the aid of a pericardial stethoscope. The result showed a significant increase in heart rate of PPR infected goats as compared to the healthy gaots, an insignificant increase in respiratory rate and insignificant changes in the rectal temperatures. Time of recumbency and onset of analgesia was significantly reduced in PPR infected goats as compared to the healthy goats. In conclusion, epidural anaesthesia with plain lignocaine in naturally PPR infected WAD goats produced anaesthesia of about one hour with some adverse effects on the vital parameters of the goats and if emergency surgery caudal to the umbilicus is necessary in sick goats, epidural anaesthesia with injection of lignocaine must be used with caution so as not cause unexpected mortality