Clinical, haematological, and biochemical responses of rectal oxygen-ozone administration in sheep

The administration of ozone has been shown to benefit human and animal health in various areas because of its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiparasitic, and antiviral effects. The effects of ozone on the health status of farm animals have not yet been described. This study hypothesises that rectal administration of an oxygen–ozone mixture in sheep is safe and causes no harm to the animals. To evaluate the clinical, haematological, and biochemical responses of sheep following rectal administration of an oxygen–ozone mixture, 10 sheep were used and divided into two experimental groups: the oxygen group (GO2), which was subjected to rectal insufflation with oxygen, and the ozone group (GO2/O3), which was subjected to rectal insufflation with an oxygen-ozone mixture. The treatments were carried out three times a week for four weeks. The animals were clinically assessed before and after all applications, and blood samples were taken at five time points. There were significant differences within the groups in the number of total leucocytes and the serum concentrations of GGT, total protein, albumin, and bilirubin, but the variations did not alter significantly between the treatment and control groups, except for total protein and AST. All variations, significant or not, were all kept within physiological reference limits. The results showed that treatment with the oxygen-ozone mixture did not lead to significant clinical and/or haematological changes in sheep. Therefore, ozone therapy seems to be safe to administer in sheep and should continue to be studied as an alternative treatment option for this species.