The effect of carprofen treatment on reproductive parameters following progestagen administration in lactating German Fawn × Hair crossbred goats during the transitional period

The aim of this study was determine the effects of carprofen treatment on some reproductive parameters in German Fawn (75%) × Hair (25%) Crossbred goats during the transitional period. The 60 adult goats were treated with an intravaginal sponge containing progestagen (60 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate, Esponjavet® , Hipra, Spain) for 17 days in the transitional period (June) (day -18). Two days before the sponge removal (day -3) all animals received 12.5 mg dinoprost tromethamine (Dinolytic High Concentration® , Zoetis, Spain) intramuscularly, while PMSG 400 IU (Oviser® , Hipra, Spain) was administered intramuscularly on the day of removal of the sponge (day -1). Goats in estrus were mated with a proven bucks (all goats:buck ratio of 7:1). Then animals were randomly divided into two groups. Goats in Control Group (n = 30) were not administered any nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug. Goats in Carprofen Group (n = 30) were given 1.4 mg/kg carprofen (Rimadyl XL® , Zoetis, Germany) on day 14 post mating (day of estrus = day 0). Pregnancies were determined with transabdominal real time B Mod ultrasonography (Hitachi EUB – 405) with convex prob (3.5 MHz) on day 40-42 post-mating. All goats showed estrus and estrus rate was 100% in all goats. The results showed that there were no statistical differences between the Control Group and Carprofen Group in pregnancy rates (90% and 93.3%), kidding rates (100% and 100%), multiple birth rates (66.6% and 78.5%) and litter sizes (2.03 and 2.32). The serum progesterone concentration on day 16 post mating of Carprofen Group (9.36 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those of Control Group (7.96 ng/ml) (p ≤ 0.05). It is concluded that, after long term (17 day) progesterone administration during the transitional period, carprofen treatment increased P4 concentration but the increased P4 concentrations did not have a remarkable effect on the pregnancy rate.