The present study aimed to provide a complete conventional echocardiographic protocol
in adult male Shiba goats by using two-dimensional, M-mode, Pulsed Wave Doppler, and tissue
Doppler imaging (TDI) echocardiography, and to study concomitantly xylazine-induced alteration
of cardiac functions in a highly sensitive species. For this purpose, 12 male Shiba goats were
included and complete conventional echocardiography from the standard right and left parasternal
views was carried to report the echocardiographic data in male Shiba goats, and also before and
after xylazine (Pre-Xyl and Post-Xyl) administration (0.05 mg/IM/kg). Results revealed that the full
echocardiographic protocol was feasible in all goats through different cardiac windows and good
Doppler alignment was achieved with non-significant variability for assessment of the left ventricular
dimensions, trans-pulmonary, trans-aortic, and trans-mitral blood flow. The TDI, which was not
reported previously in goats, was successfully assessed from the standard left apical view and showed
distinct systolic and diastolic patterns. Xylazine administration was found to significantly reduce
heart rate, fractional shortening, and cardiac output as well as the Doppler hemodynamic parameters
of the pulmonary artery, aortic and mitral inflows (p < 0.05). For TDI, the Post-Xyl group revealed
a significant decrease in the myocardial velocities of the septal and lateral wall of the left ventricle.
The present study provides, for the first time, complete data of conventional echocardiography in
male goats using the full protocol, which is routinely used in pet’s practice. Further, we illustrate
in-depth the adverse effect of short-term sedative, xylazine, as used under field conditions and
emphasize a simultaneous reduction in both systolic and diastolic cardiac function in goats based on
full echocardiography assessment of the heart. |
