Sonographic changes during Postpartum Uterine Involution in Sahel Goats (Capra hircus)

Abstract

The use of ultrasonography as diagnostic tool is crucial in animal reproduction especially in pregnancy diagnosis and can be useful in the assessment of postpartum uterine involution. Uterine involution in does has been described using macroscopic and histological examination post-mortem. The present study was carried out to determine the time of uterine involution in live Sahel goats by measuring the uterine diameter using ultrasonography. A total of 35 non-pregnant does were estrus synchronized using 2 intramuscular injection cloprostenol (250µg/kg) at 11 days interval. All the does that came into estrus after the second treatment were allowed to run free with five bucks. Pregnancy was determined by ultrasonography and the does were monitored until successful parturition. It was found that the diameter of the uterus decreased from 88.6-118 mm on day 1 postpartum to 80.8-88.6 mm, 55.3-80.8, 45.6-55.3, 39.0-45.6 mm and 24.0-39.0 mm diameters on days 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 postpartum respectively. In conclusion, postpartum uterine involution in Sahel does was completed by day 28 postpartum. This finding suggests that breeding of Sahel does can be considered after 28 days postpartum, particularly, in circumstances where suckling of the kids is not practicable or desired.