Systemic therapy with oxytetracycline is often used for treatment of clinical metritis although data about its penetration into the uterus and uterine secretion are lacking. Uterine secretions and milk from six cows with clinical metritis were collected for microbiological assay. The animals were treated intramuscularly with long-acting oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg) and samples of plasma, milk and uterine secretions were collected for determination of the antibiotic concentrations by HPLC-PDA analysis. Pharmacokinetics of the antibiotic and in silico prediction of its penetration into the uterus were described. Trueperella pyogenes with MIC values of 16–64 µg mL−1 was isolated (n of cows = 4) from uterine secretions. Oxytetracycline showed fast absorption and penetration in the uterine secretions and milk. No change of withdrawal time for milk was necessitated in cows with clinical metritis. Maximum levels in uterine secretions and predicted concentrations of oxytetracycline in the uterus were lower than MIC values. Systemic administration of long-acting oxytetracycline did not guarantee clinical cure and was not a suitable choice for treatment of clinical metritis associated with Trueperella pyogenes. The appropriate approach to antibiotic treatment of uterine infections of cows requires knowledge on penetration of the antibiotics at the site of infection and sensitivity of pathogens.

The aim of the current study was to determine the gestational age in goats through the measurement of some foetal and uterine structures. Twenty-four pregnant Bulgarian local goats were submitted to ultrasound foetometry by transrectal and transabdominal approaches. Ultrasound measurement of studied parameters was done at 7-day intervals during the first trimester of gestation (days 21-49) and at 14-day intervals between gestation days 49 and 133. Associations of foetometry data with foetal age were investigated by linear (y = a + bx), quadratic (y = ax + bx + c) and exponential (y = ax ) equations. According to the results, some biometric parameters (uterine lumen diameter, crown-rump length, trunk diameter, biparietal diameter, foetal aortic diameter) exhibited a stronger correlation to gestational age (R ≥ 0.90) and lower standard error of the estimate (SEE ≤ 8) as compared to foetal eye orbit diameter, and outer and inner placentome diameters (R ≤ 0.90; SEE ≥ 8). Each of these biometric parameters could be measured in different periods of gestation, thus allowing for monitoring and determination of foetal age at almost all stages of pregnancy.

SummaryKaradaev, M., 2015. Pregnancy diagnosis techniques in goats -a review. Bulg. J. Vet. Med., 18, No 3,[183][184][185][186][187][188][189][190][191][192][193] Several techniques for pregnancy diagnosis in goats are developed. Some of them are efficient and applicable in the field, but not enough accurate. Others are outlined with a high precision, but require equipment and specialised skills. Laparoscopy, laparotomy and vaginal biopsy are accurate but invasive and thus, inappropriate for the routine practice. Abdominal inspection, transabdominal palpation and increased live weight could be indicative for pregnancy in goats but they are reliable only after the second half of gestation. Udder examination and palpation are of low accuracy and their independent application for pregnancy diagnosis is not suitable. Blood, milk and faecal progesterone assays could indicate pregnancy in goats after the 21 st post insemination day until the end of gestation. The detection of pregnancy associated glycoproteins (PAGs) in blood plasma or milk samples is an early pregnancy marker but requires laboratory equipment. Non-return to oestrus is a cheap, practical and widely used method for detection of pregnancy between post insemination days 17 and 21 and does without signs of oestrus are assumed to be pregnant. A-mode, B-mode and Doppler ultrasonography are alternative methods for pregnancy diagnosis. Their accuracy and practical application potential are different. The two-dimensional ultrasound is one of the most appropriate methods for pregnancy diagnosis in goats. The accuracy of the method is about 100% on post insemination day 25-30 using the transrectal approach, whereas via the transabdominal approach, this accuracy is attained between the 40 th and the 45 th day.

The purpose of the present study was monitoring of the first trimester of pregnancy in local goats through ultrasound visualisation and measurements of some biometric parameters. Eighteen local Bulgarian goats, 2 to 4 years of age, weighing 48-56 kg, reared in the Biobase of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-Stara Zagora were included in the experiments. All animals underwent ultrasound checks on gestation days 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49. Ultrasound measurements included the following biometric parameters: uterine lumen diameter, crown-rump length, trunk diameter, biparietal diameter, inner and outer diameter of placentomes, long and short heart axis, foetal heart rate, foetal orbit diameter. The analysis of results indicated that ultrasound check during the first trimester of pregnancy of local goats could start at 21 st day of pregnancy when two biometric parameters were visualised-uterine lumen diameter (10.3±2.7 mm), filled with anechoic amniotic fluid and foetal crownrump length (5.2±0.9 mm), which was hyperechoic. From the 28 th day of gestation, ultrasound measurement of trunk diameter was possible. The inner and outer placentome diameters, biparietal diameter and foetal heart rate could be used for monitoring of pregnancy by the end of the first trimester (days 42 and 49).

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The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of breed, age, season, mating, pregnancy, progestin contraceptive treatment and the onset time of the disease after the last heat on the incidence and epidemiology of canine pyometra in Bulgaria. The investigation included 217 bitches suffering from pyometra. We found that the disorder was most often observed in 7-year-old, mixed breed bitches, most frequently in September and 4 weeks after the heat.

The aim of the present study was to determine the features and size of teat structures in cows using ultrasonography. The experiment was conducted with 12 clinically healthy Black-and-White cows, 3 years of age, with body weight of 350-450 kg. Ultrasonography was performed on 48 teats using ultrasound SonoScape A5v (SonoScape, China) with multifrequency linear transducer (5-12 MHz). The potential of the imaging technique to visualize teat structures as well as teat canal length and diameter, the diameter in the area of the Furstenberg’s rosette, teat wall thickness, teat cistern diameter in its middle part and teat cistern diameter in teat base was evaluated. Scans were conducted before milking, immediately after milking, and 1 and 2 hours after milking. The average teat canal length measured by ultrasound was 8.48±1.41 mm before milking, and until the 2nd post-milking hour its size became statistically significantly (p<0.001) lower (7.48±0.93 mm). Teat canal diameter showed a significant difference (p<0.01) only immediately after milking compared to the size before milking. The diameter of the middle part and the base of the teat cistern also tended to decrease considerably after milking (p<0.001) as compared to premilking values. The teat wall thickness immediately after milking and 1 hour after milking were statistically significantly higher (p<0.001) compared to the premilking size. The analysis of results showed that ultrasonography is a rapid non-invasive and accurate method for determination of characteristics and size of teat structures. It could be used for evaluation of changes occurring in bovine teat after milking - shortening of the teat canal, teat wall thickening and reduction of teat cistern diameter.

The aim of the present study was to assess changes in acute phase proteins fibrinogen and haptoglobin, as well as hematological, blood biochemical, and microbiological alterations in local Bulgarian goats with experimentally induced Staphylococcus aureus mastitis. The experiments were conducted with 6 clinically healthy local Bulgarian goats, 2 to 6 years of age, weighing 46-57 kg. The experimental infection was done with a stationary phase culture of a field Staphylococcus aureus strain isolated from a cow with clinical mastitis. Blood haptoglobin in goats was considerably higher (Р < 0.05) as early as 8 h after the pathogen's inoculation. The most significant differences from baseline values occurred 24 and 48 h (Р < 0.01) after infection. Plasma fibrinogen increased significantly (Р < 0.05) 8 h after infection and reached the highest mean concentration (9.12 g/L) by 72 h. Leukocytosis was established as early as 4 h after the experimental infection when leukocyte counts were significantly higher than baseline (Р < 0.001). The analysis of results indicates that in experimentally induced Staphylococcus aureus mastitis, significantly higher (P < 0.05) levels of the leukocyte, fibrinogen, and haptoglobin are established as early as 8 h after the infection.