Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to assess blood gas variations in samples from the auricular artery in healthy and cattle affected with pneumonia. Acid–base and blood gas parameters of healthy control animals (n=10) were within normal physiological limits. Diseased animals (n=25) showed significantly increased blood pH along with decreased arterial pCO₂, pO₂, and oxygen saturation, indicating respiratory compromise and compensatory hyperventilation. Bicarbonate concentration, carbonic acid, bicarbonate to carbonic acid ratio, and standard base excess remained largely comparable between healthy and affected animals. Different pneumonic conditions exhibited variable acid–base disturbances, with respiratory alkalosis and metabolic alkalosis being the predominant abnormalities. Chronic and chronic active pneumonia cases commonly demonstrated uncompensated metabolic alkalosis, whereas fibrinopurulent and suppurative pneumonia showed fewer apparent acid–base changes despite the presence of hypoxemia (pO₂ <50 mm Hg) in several animals. Reduced arterial oxygen tension and oxygen saturation suggested impaired pulmonary gas exchange and tissue oxygenation. The findings indicate that arterial blood gas analysis is a useful diagnostic tool for evaluating pulmonary dysfunction, oxygenation status, and compensatory acid–base mechanisms in bovine pneumonia.