Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Pregnancy Toxemia in Hospitalized Small Ruminants

Presentation Description / Summary: Pregnancy toxemia is a common, life threatening disease in small ruminants that can range from mild to severe at the time of presentation for veterinary exam. Prompt assessment of clinical signs and diagnostic testing are of paramount importance to early recognition and safe intervention. Concurrent assessment and treatment of comorbidities is necessary to maximize the likelihood of a positive case outcome. Cases of pregnancy toxemia frequently present to veterinary hospitals for more intensive management than can be provided on farm. Cases of pregnancy toxemia can also occur in small ruminants that are hospitalized for other conditions. Many aspects of recognizing the disease and carrying out treatments for hospital patients with pregnancy toxemia rely on skilled technical support. This session will consist of an interactive lecture that leads the listeners through a clinically focused session on recognizing, treating and preventing pregnancy toxemia. This session will focus heavily on the hospital management of small ruminants with pregnancy toxemia.

Learner Outcomes: By the end of this session, attendees will be able to: - Identify signs of pregnancy toxemia in small ruminants - Select diagnostic tests to confirm, and judge the severity of pregnancy toxemia - Recall common comorbidities associated with pregnancy toxemia - Recognize common predisposing factors associated with pregnancy toxemia - Describe the most common treatments and hospital care for pregnancy toxemia and associated co morbidities - Describe preventative methods for hospitalized cases and basic herd management prevention recommendations for pregnancy toxemia