CLINICAL, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND METABOLIC PROFILE STUDY OF SHEEP WITH CLINICAL HYPOCALCEMIA
outcome; neuromuscular dysfunction; clinical records.
Sheep farming plays a relevant economic and social role in Brazil, especially in the Northeast region, due to its potential for the production of meat, milk, dairy products, and leather. In this context, the state of Pernambuco has followed the intensification of production systems and advances in genetic improvement in sheep. However, these advances have been accompanied by an increased predisposition to the occurrence of metabolic disorders, particularly hypocalcemia, one of the main metabolic diseases affecting female small ruminants. This disorder is characterized by neuromuscular dysfunction, circulatory collapse, sensory depression, and, in more severe cases, death of the females and their offspring. Given its importance, the present study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory aspects, as well as the outcomes, of 65 ewes with clinical hypocalcemia treated at the Clínica de Bovinos de Garanhuns/UFRPE between January 2015 and July 2025, classified according to clinical outcome as positive (G1, n = 46) or negative (G2, n = 19). Significant differences were observed between groups regarding clinical findings, with a higher frequency of sialorrhea in G1, whereas animals in G2 presented mucous membrane alterations, greater degree of dehydration, tachycardia, dyspnea, abnormal respiratory auscultation findings, and hypothermia. In the biochemical evaluation, differences were observed in ionized calcium concentrations, with median values of 0.42 mmol L⁻¹ (0.38–0.46) in G1 and 0.49 mmol L⁻¹ (0.43–0.49) in G2, hyperglycemia in G1, a lower albumin-to-globulin ratio in G2, and a significant difference in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity, although values remained within reference limits. In the predictive analysis, a hospitalization period longer than 1.5 days was associated with a higher likelihood of survival (OR = 6.19 [1.85–20.71]). It is therefore concluded that clinical hypocalcemia in ewes promotes significant clinical and laboratory impairment in affected animals, with more severe alterations observed in those with a negative outcome.