Application of Serum Biochemical Panels in the Clinical Management of Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex in Feedlot Cattle in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria

Bovine respiratory disease complex remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in feedlot cattle operations in sub-Saharan Africa, yet its biochemical characterisation in Nigerian feedlot settings is poorly documented. This study applied a structured serum biochemical panel encompassing hepatic enzymes, acute-phase proteins, and blood gas parameters in the clinical management of bovine respiratory disease complex in a commercial feedlot in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria. Eighty cattle with clinical respiratory disease confirmed by respiratory scoring and eighty healthy matched controls were enrolled over an eight-month period. Serial biochemical analyses were conducted at presentation and at seventy-two-hour intervals post-treatment initiation. The panel identified concurrent hepatic compromise in 38% of respiratory cases, likely attributable to bacterial endotoxaemia, and metabolic acidosis in cases with severe dyspnoea. Serum haptoglobin and fibrinogen demonstrated superior predictive value for disease severity compared to individual analytes. Animals with normalising biochemical profiles by day seven had a treatment success rate of 84% compared to 41% in those with persistently elevated inflammatory markers. Integration of biochemical panel results with clinical respiratory scoring improved mortality prediction accuracy by 23% compared to clinical scoring alone. These findings support the adoption of structured biochemical monitoring protocols in North West Nigerian feedlot operations to guide treatment decisions and reduce respiratory disease-related losses. Keywords: bovine respiratory disease, serum biochemistry, feedlot, acute-phase proteins, Sokoto.