Reptile haematology and biochemistry

Abstract

Interpreting haematology and biochemistry results from reptiles is notoriously difficult, due at least in part to the lack of data for many species and the wide variation in reference ranges for others. This article describes sampling techniques in reptilian species and discusses what different parameters mean in terms of physiological status and the indication of particular diseases.

Hematology, Biochemistry Reference Intervals, and Morphological Description of Peripheral Blood Cells for a Captive Population of Crocodylus intermedius in Colombia

“…The hemoglobin (HGB) concentration was measured with spectrophotometry using the BTS-350 equipment (Biosystem, Spain). Mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular HGB, and mean corpuscular HGB concentration (MCHC) indices were calculated following Eatwell et al ( 23 ).…”

A multi-element screening method to identify metal targets for blood biomonitoring in green sea turtles ( Chelonia mydas )

“…However, FullQuant results require the parallel analysis of a matrix-matched CRM for quality assurance, none of which exists commercially for turtle matrices. The composition of marine turtle blood has been reported to differ considerably from that of human blood (Soslau et al, 2004;Orós et al, 2010;Prieto-Torres et al, 2013;Eatwell et al, 2014), and thus far, it has not been demonstrated that human blood is a suitable surrogate for green turtle blood. By demonstrating equivalency in the instrument response between human and turtle blood (Fig.…”

“…Although there are numerous reports of metal concentrations in marine turtle tissues, most studies are limited to a few trace elements, namely Cd, Cu, Pb, and Hg for ecotoxicology (Grillitsch and Schiesari, 2010) and Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, Zn, and Fe for haematology (Flint et al, 2010;Eatwell et al, 2014). While these metals have high relevance as health indicators, and for toxicological or biological function in general, many other elements (e.g.…”

Phlebotomy in reptile and avian patients

“…With confidence comes the ability to expand the level of care offered to the patients, benefitting animal welfare and improving clinical case management, aiding case direction, or indeed indicating further diagnostic testing; for example, organ biopsy. While for some species subsequent interpretation of haematology and biochemistry findings can be an additional challenge (Eatwell and others 2014), the first step is to obtain a quality sample in the first instance.…”

“…Once the sample is collected, needles should be removed from the syringe, and the sample smoothly transferred to a lithium‐heparin (li‐hep) tube or pot of an appropriate size, and fresh blood smears made. Smear preparation is beyond the scope of this article, but I refer readers to a previous In Practice article (Eatwell and others 2014).…”