Abstract

This work was conducted on (500) small ruminants, (225) sheep and (275) goats of different weights, ages and sex admitted to the Veterinary Hospital and Surgery Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University. Five goats of this number were used for studying the normal anatomical positions of the abdominal organs through serial cross and sagittal sections. The aim of performing anatomical study in this work was to determine the acoustic window of different abdominal organs in sheep and goats. The others were either normal (300 animal) or clinically affected cases (195 animal) and were examined ultrasonographically. From the results of this study, the liver of sheep and goats can be examined in standing position or with the animal on left lateral recumbency using 3.5/ 5MHz sector transducer. The right 7^th to12^th intercostal spaces were the suitable acoustic window for the liver which appeared as numerous weak echoes homogenously distributed with its blood vessels. The portal vein appeared with an echogenic wall while the hepatic vein had a less echogenic one. The gall bladder was examined in standing or lateral recumbency from the right side at 9^th and/or 10^th intercostals spaces using 6/8MHz linear transducer and appeared as elongated oval or circular shape with anechoic content "bile" with smooth and thin echogenic wall. Ultrasonographic examination of the rumen was done by using a 5MHz sector transducer put on the dorsal aspect of the left flank region. The ruminal wall appeared as an echogenic band only, while the ruminal content was appeared as a dark shadow. The reticulum in sheep and goats was examined from the ventral abdominal region just caudal to xiphoid cartilage using a 5MHz sector transducer. Reticular movements were detected through real time scanning in the form of 4-5 biphasic contractions within 4 minutes. The omasum was examined using a 3.5-5MHz sector transducer on the right side at 10^th intercostal space while the abomasum was imaged using a 3.5-5MHz sector transducer on both ventral midline and right paramedian areas. Cirrhotic liver with cholecystitis and ruminal foreign bodies was detected with the aid of ultrsonography in the examined clinical cases.