Journal

of Wildlife

Diseases,

© Wildlife

HEMATOLOGIC OSTRICH

AND

BLOOD

CHEMISTRY

CAMEL

US)

(STRUTHIO

J. Palomeque,

0. Pinto,2

VALUES

OF THE

27(1),

Disease

1991,

pp.

34-40

Association

1991

MASAI

and G. Viscor

Departamento Bioquimica y Fisiologia, Universidad 08071-Barcelona, Spain 2Parque ZoolOgico de Barcelona, 08003-Barcelona,

de Barcelona, Spain

Norma! mean values for hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, erythrocyte and leukocyte counts, hematimetric indices, erythrocyte dimensions, glucose, urea, uric acid, cholesterol, creatinine, total bilirubin, serum aspartate aminotransferase, serum alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine phosphokinase, lactic dehydrogenase, inorganic phosphorus, chloride, total plasma protein, sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were obtained from the blood or plasma of four Masai ostriches (Strut hio camelus) when juveniles at 5 mo of age and as adults 1 yr later in the Barcelona Zoo (Spain). Young ostriches had significantly lower concentrations ABSTRACT:

of hematocrit, hemoglobin protein and potassium, than different between the two

concentration, calcium, and magnesium, and higher levels of total the adult individuals. The rest of the parameters were not significantly age groups. The data obtained provide reference values for Masai

ostriches.

Key

words:

reference

Blood

values,

chemistry

age

values,

variation,

captive

hematology,

INTRODUCTION

There hematology

is

a paucity of information and blood chemistries

wild

avian

species,

birds. with

Ostriches vestigial

are peculiar wings and

for

MATERIALS

ratite

flightless well-developed

bird

animals

and

more

recently,

(1982) listed hematological red and white blood cell

counts

moglobin.

(1982)

of

Stoskopft

eight

blue

camelus

austrealis)

matologic tein

including and hein a pool

ostriches

(Struthio

described

parameters

and

a few the

he-

plasma

pro-

concentration.

Clinical useful aid illness

et a!.

necked

hematology and for the diagnosis

in caged

birds

chemistry of disease

(Woerpel

and

is a and Ross-

kopf, 1984). Therefore, establish hematological

it is important reference values

to in

the

ratites

to

have ports

ostrich

and

other

baseline information. This on baseline hematological

in

order paper and

healthy

juveniles

and

AND METHODS

consisted

of

a mixture

of

fresh

vege-

sions from the same individuals: once when the ostriches were 5-mo-old (juveniles), and 1 yr later (adults). To reduce the variation associated with diurnal changes in blood (Dolnik, 1973), the blood samples were taken from the brachia! vein at the same hour (10:00 to 11:00 AM.). Blood samples were drawn with a heparinized syringe. The cellular portion of the blood was removed by centrifugation to stabilize different enzyme systems. A small blood sample was separated to immediately conduct the hematological analyses, which were always completed within 2 hr after blood withdrawal. The plasma tubes were immediately frozen and the biochemical analyses were conducted subsequently. The hematocrit was determined using a heparinized capillary tube and centrifuging the blood in a micro-hematocrit centrifuge (GriCel, Barcelona, Spain) for 6 mm at 11,500 rpm.

Leonard

data

normal

tables plus a vitamin supplement (Pecutrin#{174} Bayer, AG Leverkusen, Federal Republic of Germany). Water was available ad libitum. Al! animals were apparently healthy with no clinical signs of disease. Blood samples were obtained on two occa-

thio camelus massaicus) were obtained by Gulliver (1875). Later, De Villiers (1938) described physical properties of the blood ostrich

camelus,

The ostriches were born in the Tel Aviv Zoo (Tel Aviv, Israel), subsequently purchased by the Barcelona Zoo (Barcelona, Spain), and maintained in 500 m2 fenced pens. The diet of the

legs allowing them to run for several minutes at a velocity of 50 to 70 km/hr and for long distances (Cramp, 1985). Hematological values of the Masai ostrich (Stru-

of the

Struthio

ostrich,

chemical values in adult Masai ostriches.

on the of many

especially

Masai

study.

rebio34

PALOMEQUE

1.

TABLE

Hematologic

values

ET AL-HEMATOLOGY

in the captive

AND

BLOOD

CHEMISTRY

OF THE

OSTRICH

35

ostrich.

Measurement

Unit

Juveniles

Adults

Hematocrit

%

Erythrocytes

x

Hemoglobin Mean corpuscular

volume

g/100 m3

Mean

hemoglobin

pg

70.5

(9.0)

65.3

(7.0)

% x lfV/mm3

35.9 19.5

(3.1) (13.7)

32.5 21.0

(3.0) (8.0)

corpuscular

Mean corpuscular Leukocytes Mean

(standard

hemoglobin

concentration

37.0 ml

13.3

concentration of well-mixed

was whole

measured by blood to 5 ml

dex of the

deviation

shape.

parameters

All

ing the methods

optical density which was measured in a spectrophotometer set a 540 tim. The erythrocyte number (RBC) was counted in a hemocytometer Thomas chamber after the sample was diluted in saline (Ferrer, 1929). The leukocyte count (WBC) was determined using a hemocytometer (Ferrer, 1929). The hematimetric indices, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were calculated rom the RBC count, hematocrit, and hemoglobin concentration. The morphometric determination of average RBC length and width were measured from selected smears. These were fixed with methanol and stained with MayGr#{252}nwald and Giemsa solutions, as described by Lucas and Jamroz (1961). The cells were

HF HF

reagent

examined and their calibrated

(Drabkin

at 1,000 dimension eyepiece

Measurements from different and

length

TABLE 2. tive ostrich.

x

and

(oil immersion objective) estimated by means of (Nikon; Tokyo, Japan).

cas

(31.2)

internal

cytology.

to width

were

Unit

Ratios

calculated

of erythrocytes

Santi

were

length

Cell Cell

width length/cell

sm m

width

‘Mean

length width length! width

(standard

(25.1)

menagent,

sm sm

follow-

for avian

merckotest,

Merck, Darmstadt many), total bilirubin Menarini), serum

Italy), uric

Via

urea

acid

(3397

merckotest,

aminotransferase Merck), alkaline phosphatase

Merck),

(ALT) phosphatase

menagent,

phosphokinase

(uric

lactic

merck-i-test, menagent,

acid

(choles(3385

serum

(3398

creatinine

(14328

merck-i-test,

dehydrogenase

Merck), Menarini),

alanine

merckotest, (AP) (alkaline

Menarini),

(CPK)

Merck),

(urea

Frankfurter Strasse 250, 1, Federal Republic of Ger(total bilirubin menagent, aspartate aminotransferase

D-6100

(AST)

(Lu-

Menarini,

Firenza,

Menarini),

blood

menagent, Menarini), cholesterol terol HF menagent, Menarini), creatinine

(LDH)

and were

chloride determined

(3349 (chlorofix using

commercial kits. These techniques are commonly used in avian veterinary diagnosis. Total plasma proteins (TP) were measured using the a

Lowry

et a!. (1951)

tassium were trophotometry al

AG,

technique.

Sodium

and

po-

analyzed by flame emission spec(Varian-875, Varian Internation-

Viaduckstrasse

65,

organic phosphorus by inductively coupled plasma (ICP spectrophotometer Jobin Yvon-JY-38 VHR, ISA Instruments, Division Jobin Yvon, 16-

du canal

magnesium

Basel,

as an in-

18 rue

calcium,

1

Switzerland)

in the cap-

and

CH-401

of maxi-

(1.17)’

13.30

(1.09)

Longiumeau,

and

in-

C#{232}dex,France).

AND DISCUSSION

7.49 (0.84)

7.53 (0.79)

1.76(0.15) 5.47 (0.65) 2.89 (0.40)

1.77 (0.19) 5.58 (0.72) 2.96 (0.48)

1.94 (0.37)

1.89 (0.41)

1, 2 and

matologic

and

juvenile

and

mean and individuals values were

deviation).

a spherical

Adults

Juveniles

13.18

from

determined

described

3, 50131

Tables Cell

Nucleus nuclear

(0.89)

201.1

of RBC’s

RESULTS

Nucleus

(0.37)

15.6

and Jamroz, 1961). Glucose (glucofix menagent,

Sette

of 50 erythrocytes were taken smears selected for excellence of

Measurements

Measurement

Nucleus

(2.4)

2.42

(0.39)

196.9

Austin, 1935). After 10 mm this was centrifuged at 2,500 rpm for 5 mm in order to avoid interference of the lysed nuclei during the determination of the

of Drabkin’s

mum

48.0

(0.28)

deviation).

Hemoglobin adding 10 l

staining

(2.1)’

1.91

10/mm

Statistical