DYNAMICS OF CLINICOBIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN SHEEP UNDER MAGNESITE LOAD

Clinical pattern and dynamics of some biochemical indicators were obse rved in six four-year lambing ewes of the Improved Wallachian breed in the course of 32-day administration of magnesite fly ash. A daily dos e of the tested fly ash with the content of 305,000 mg/kg magnesium am ounted to 500 mg/kg live weight of sheep. The intake of concentrate mi xture with magnesium content in the test sheep decreased by a third be tween the 12th and 20th day, by another half between the 20th and 26th day and the intake was minimum to nil during the last seven days of t he trial. The decrease in the intake of concentrate mixture was accomp anied by increased water consumption and by gradual inappetence for ha y. Shaped droppings started to change their consistency to slurry cons istency from the 12th day of observation. Thinner to watery consistenc y of excrements appeared in all sheep between the 15th and 20th day an d diarrheas persisted in all animals until the end of the trial. The i ndicators of hematological profile did not show an undoubted relations hip to the administration of tested magnesium, and the variations in t he particular indicators observed during the trial were within the phy siological range. Serum enzymes showed a significant increase against the starting values only in the concentration of alanine aminotransfer ase on day 20 and day 26 (p < 0.05 and/or p < 0.001). An increase in t he proteosynthetic activity of hepatocytes signalled a statistically s ignificant increase in total proteins (p < 0.05), total immunoglobulin s (p < 0.05) and an insignificant increase in albumin content. Out of the analyzed mineral elements, magnesium content showed the most signi ficant relationship to administration of industrial polllutants as its significant increase in blood serum, urine and droppings was observab le since day 20 0, < 0.05, p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). The dynamics of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, iron, copper, zinc , molybdenum, arsenic and cadmium concentrations showed different patt erns in the blood serum, droppings and urine of sheep in the course of magnesite fly ash feeding, and the evaluation of interactions with ma gnesium requires further studies.