During the present study clinical examination of 200 small ruminants (sheep and goats)
any breed, age and sex with the history of diarrhea was performed at the Outdoor Hospital,
University of Veterinary and Animal sciences Lahore and adjacent areas. A total of 38 animals
were diagnosed positive for the disease. Temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, rumen pH,
serum pH, ruminal movements and ruminal protozoa of affected animals were studied before and
after treatment with two drugs magnesium hydroxide and sodium bicarbonate.
It was found that rectal temperature, rumen pH, blood pH, ruminal movements decreased significantly in lactic acidotic sheep and goats before treatment as compared to control group. While increased pulse and respiration rate were observed in lactic acidotic group before treatment as compared to control group. Thirty diseased and ten healthy animals were divided into four groups i.e. A, B, C and D each having ten animals. Group 'A" was provided with magnesium hydroxide at a dose rate of 1.11 g/ Kg body weight orally mixed in water at a rate of 450 g/ 3.5 liter once, group "B" was treated with sodium bi carbonate at a rate of lg/ kg body weight orally once, group "C" was kept as diseased untreated control and group "D" acted as healthy control. Mean values obtained before treatment were rectal temperature 99.74 F° + 0.67153, lOO.59F° 1 0.75580, 101.25 F° ± 0.49448 and 102.86 F° ± 0.30155 for group A, B, C and D respectively. Rectal temperature values after treatment were 102.47 F° ± 0.2 1294, 101.9
+ 0.27849,
101.19 F°±0.41965 and 102.95 F° ± 0.16142 for group A, B, C and D respectively. Mean pulse rate values for group A, B, C and D before treatment were 100.6/mm ± 3.40008, 97.2/mm ± 4.24745, 103.6/min ± 2.5636 and 86.3/min ± 1.85626 respectively while after treatment were 88.55/min ± 1.77768, 92/min ± 1.75123, 94.3/min ± 1.90938, 86/min ± 1.06460 respectively. Mean respiration rate values before treatment were 24.1min ± 0.86218, 28.2/min ± 2.52020, 24/min ± 0.84329 and 19.8/min ± 0.59256 for group A, B, C and D respectively while after treatment were 20.55/min ± 0.78953, 22.8/min ± 0.80001, 24.5/min ± 0.79234 and 20.7/min ± 0.66751 respectively. Mean rumen pH values obtained before treatment were 4.43 ± 0.14533, 4.49 ± 0.13287, 4.76 + 0.17075 and 6.39 ± 0.13699 while after treatment were 5.66 ± 0.17125, 5.41 ± 0.13506, 4.94 ± 0.18683 and 6.42 ± 0.08035 for group A, B, C and D respectively. Mean d pH values obtained before treatment were 7.18 ± 0.04667, 7.1 ± 0.05375, 7.21 ± 0.05044 and 7.33 ± 0 .02808 while after treatment were 7.37 ± 0.02806, 7.25 + 0.02390, 7.18 ± 0.03837 and 7.41 + 0.0383 7 for group A, B, C and D respectively.
Ruminal protozoa were completely absent in ruminal fluid of lactic acidotic group. Ruminal stasis was also observed in lactic acidotic group.