Reference values of blood parameters in rams of the Bosnian Pramenka breed

Abstract

Pramenka is a breed of sheep widely distributed  on the Balkan Peninsula (over 30 strains). A number of factors affect hematological and biochemical parameters in sheep blood such as breed, age, sex, region, season and health. The aim of this paper is to determine reference ranges for hematological and selected biochemical parameters in the blood of  Bosnian Pramenka rams. The experiment included 362 blood samples. The rams were healthy, and were raised under farm conditions in Banat (Serbia). The blood was collected by puncture of v. jugularis, in vacuum cleaners with a purple stopper (EDTA, for hematological  analysis) and with a yellow stopper (for biochemical  analysis). The reference intervals of the blood parameters in  Bosnian Pramenka rams were: WBC 4.34–17.0 ×10⁹/mL; RBC 4.34–17.0×10¹²/mL; HGB 72.73–119.8 g/L; HTC 21.97–36.77 %; MCV 26.55–34.23 fL; MCH 8.57–11.34 pg; MCHC 311.32–345.16 g/L; PLT 118–556.45 ×10⁹ /mL; TPROT 56.53–70.51 g/L; ALB 29.81–40.05 g/L; GLOB 22.13–35.05 g/L; UREA 2.25–9.57 mmol/L; TBIL 2.21–11.35 μmol/L; GLU 2.41–6.93 mmol/L; CHOL 0.93–1.91 mmol/L; AST 58244 IU/L; BHB 0.18–0.54 mmol/L and LDH 172–455 IU/L. Normal frequency distribution was determined for RBC, HTC, PLT, ALB, GLOB and CHOL, while other parameters did not have a normal frequency distribution. A positive correlation was found between body weight and RBC and HGB values, and a negative correlation between body weight and WBC and BHB values. The obtained reference values will be helpful in interpreting the health and productive status of the  Bosnian Pramenka population. Further studies should focus on ewes and lambs, as well as on the deviation of blood parameters in the case of various diseases.