Evaluation of Cardiac Troponin Levels, and Electrolyte Changes Associated with Electrocardiographic Alterations in Diarrheic Kankrej Cattle Calves

Abstract

The present study was undertaken from February 2024 to July 2024 at Livestock Research Station, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, India on Kankrej calves (n=20) up to 2 months of age suffering from diarrhea. The diarrheal calves were equally divided into two treatment groups T1 and T2 (n=1 0 each), and a group of healthy calves (n=10) served as control for comparison of the findings. Both diseased and control animals were evaluated for serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), electrolytes Na, K & Cl, and ECG parameters before (day 0) and on day 10 after treatment. Therapeutic interventions such as antibiotics (as per ABST results) and fluid therapy (NSS & RL) were continued in both T1 and T2 groups until the clinical signs resolved. Additionally, the T2 group received probiotic supplementation containing Lactobacillus sporogenes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Electrolytes Na, K & Cl imbalance was observed during this study. After treatment, sodium and chloride levels increased in both groups, while potassium levels significantly decreased (p<0.05) in Group T2 (treated with probiotics). Compared to the healthy control group (C). A significant (p<0.05) increase in cardiac troponin I (cTnI) was recorded in diarrheic calves (255.60 ± 23.76 vs. 224.80 ± 34.47 ng/L), which after treatment reduced significantly (p<0.05) in both groups T1 and T2, indicating the impact on cardiac biomarkers in diarrheic calves. Electrocardiography recorded a significant (p<0.05) increase in QRS duration and T-wave amplitude in both the groups of diarrheic calves.