Oral Administration of Ginger Rhizome Powder and Postoperative Inflammation Indices in Ovariohysterectomized Dogs

Abstract

With regard to the importance of prescribing medicinal plants in the traditional veterinary medicine and the anti-inflammatory role of ginger, the current study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the oral administration of the ginger rhizome powder following ovariohysterectomy in puppies. Ten healthy young female puppies were randomly assigned to two equal groups, including a control and an experimental group. Two hours before surgical neutering by ovariohysterectomy, a Zintoma Capsule (Zingiber officinale) was administered orally in the experimental group and continued daily for 10 days after surgery. Several inflammatory markers were measured to evaluate the postsurgical status of the animals in the different times. Although there was no difference in the albumin and glucose level between the experimental and control groups at the different times, a statistically significant reduction in the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) was observed in the experimental group compared to the control group. These preliminary findings suggest the usefulness of ginger rhizome powder, a traditional herbal dietary supplement, in the reduction of postoperative inflammatory reactions in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy.