Clinical responses to acute blood loss in goats

The response to blood loss is directly related to the degree of hemorrhage, but for the caprine species some aspects still need to be investigated. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the clinical and hemodynamic effects of acute blood loss in goats. Eight healthy, adult male crossbred goats were subjected to external jugular puncture to remove 30% of the total blood volume. A physical examination and blood gas, biochemical, and hematologic analyses were performed at baseline, before blood loss (T0), and after one (T1h), six (T6h), 12 (T12h), 24 (T24h) and 72 (T72h) hours, and eight (T8d), 16 (T16d), 24 (T24d) and 32 (T32d) days after the acute blood loss event. The goats presented with tachycardia, tachypnea, and hyperthermia one hour after blood loss with a return to normal physiological values at T6h. Packed cell volume was decreased at T1h and red cell counts at T12h, both returning to baseline at T24d. There was a reduction in total protein and albumin levels at T1h, both remained below baseline levels until T16d and T8d, respectively. The serum calcium concentration decreased over the period T1h to T24h and glucose increased over the period T1h to T6h. The values of pH, TCO2, bicarbonate, and base excess were lower at T1h, while lactate increased markedly at this time. The pCO2 value only was reduced at T24h. Systolic (PS), diastolic (PD), and mean (PM) pressures were decreased at T1h. Acute loss of 30% of blood volume in goats caused changes in clinical, blood gas, and biochemical parameters, which were restored over a six-hour period, while hematologic changes were more persistent, with baseline values restored only after 24 days.