Haematological changes in dystociac buffaloes following dexamethasone administration vis-à-vis normal parturition

The aim of the study was to evaluate the haematological changes from the day of assisted parturition to day 3 postpartum in dystociac buffaloes following administration of dexamethasone (DEX) and to compare the changes in buffaloes not treated with DEX. Normally calved buffaloes (6) were sampled for comparative changes in eutociac group. Dystociac buffaloes 10 (not treated with DEX) and 12 (treated with DEX on the day of assisted parturition and on days 1 and 2 postpartum) constituted dystociac control and treatment groups respectively. The changes in haemoglobin, packed-cell volume and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the 3 groups were not significant. The total leukocyte count and neutrophil count declined from the day of parturition to day 3 postpartum in eutociac group. The neutrophil count in both the dystociac groups was non-significantly lower. Majority of the neutrophil population in dystociac groups irrespective of the treatment were either band cells or metamyelocytes. In eutociac group, eosinophil count increased from the day of parturition to subsequent days postpartum and was significantly higher than dystociac groups on all the days postpartum. The effect of exogenous DEX administration was not evident on total and differential leukocyte counts. This study thus revealed that the leukogram of dystociac buffaloes depicted neutropenic leukopenia and degenerative left-shift characteristic of endotoxaemia.