THE EFFECT OF GASTRO-INTESTINAL PARASITES ON BLOOD PICTURE IN SHEEP AND GOATS AT AL-GASSIM

Document Type : Research article

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Abstract

The presnet work was carried out on sheep and goats at some animal farms at Al-Gassim Emarrah, Saudi Arabia. The work was done during the period between November 1990 and May 1992. The total number of the examined animals were 2150 adult sheep and 760 adult goats. The clinical and laboratory examinations revealed that 21.4% of sheep and 15.8% of goats were infested with internal p < /strong>arasites. The reported p < /strong>arasites were Eimeria spp < /strong>., Trichostrongylus sp < /strong>p < /strong>., Haemonchus spp < /strong>., Ostertagia spp < /strong>., Oesop < /strong>hagostomum Columbianum and Trichuris ovis. The clinical symptoms ap < /strong>peared were characterized by anaemia, emaciation, loss of weight and diarrhoea. Prominent decrease was observed in the values of red cells count, haemoglobin content and packed cells volume. Leucocytosis, increase in the absolute numbers of neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils were obvious in all diseased animals.