Vol. 12, Issue 2 (2023)

Pulse oximetry is an important non-invasive means of determining oxygen saturation in both animals and humans. However, it has not been standardized in small ruminants. Hence, the present study envisages standardization of pulse oximetry in goats. Briefly, 36 respiratory affected goats were evaluated against 36 healthy goats for pulse oximetry at different sites (Pinnae, lower lip and tip of the tail). The animals were resistant to allow the probes to be placed at lower lip. No reading was obtained at pinnae. However, satisfactory results were obtained at the tail. SpO₂ was found to be significantly (p<0.05) lower in affected group (Group 2) compared to the healthy control group (Group 1). Clinical parameters viz. rectal temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate were significantly increased (p<0.05) in affected group compared to the control group. TNF-α levels were significantly (p<0.05) higher in affected group compared to the control group whereas IL-10 levels were significantly (p<0.05) lower in affected group compared to the control group. Hence, this study concludes that pulse oximetry can be an efficient non- invasive tool to measure blood oxygen saturation in goats.