<![CDATA[Respiratory diseases are a major cause of illness and death in goats, especially in tropical production systems, where mixed infections and limited treatment options are common. This preliminary study evaluated the effects of intranasal Lactobacillus fermentum in West African Dwarf goats with pneumonia. Twenty affected goats were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 5): intranasal L. fermentum alone, intranasal L. fermentum with Oxytetracycline, Oxytetracycline alone, and intranasal normal saline. Clinical signs, hematological indices, oxidative stress biomarkers, and pulmonary lesions were assessed for 14 days. Goats receiving intranasal L. fermentum, either alone or combined with oxytetracycline, showed earlier improvement in respiratory distress, pyrexia, and nasal discharge than the untreated controls. The treated groups also had higher packed cell volume and total leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, lower neutrophil counts, and increased superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities. Mortality was highest in untreated goats. Lung histopathology revealed bronchointerstitial and interstitial pneumonia. These findings suggest that intranasal L. fermentum may provide therapeutic benefits in caprine pneumonia, either alone or in combination with conventional antibiotic therapy. However, the small sample size, absence of healthy controls, and lack of bacteriological confirmation limit broad extrapolation of these results. Larger studies with detailed pathogen characterization are required.]]>
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