Donkey Haematology

WIKINORMALS DONKEY SECTION

Parameter/units	Average	Range	Interpretation
RBC 1012/l	5.5	(4 - 7.1)	Red blood cells, packed cell volume, haemoglobin: Elevations in RBC, PCV, and Hb may occur in dehydration and with stress, excitation and exercise. A reduction in these values may occur with acute haemorrhage, chronic inflammation, renal disease, hepatic disease, parasitism, haemolysis, and haematopoietic neoplasia.
PCV %	33	(27 - 42)	As above
Hb g/dl	11.0	(8.9 - 14.7)	As above
MCH pg	20.6	(17.6 - 23.1)	Mean corpuscular haematology: Elevations occur with haemolysis. Reductions usually indicate iron deficiency.
MCHC g/dl	34	(31 - 37)	Mean corpuscular haematological concentration: Elevations occur with haemolysis. Reductions may indicate iron deficiency.
MCV fl	60	(53 - 67)	Macrocytosis seen with regenerative anaemia. Microcytosis seen with iron deficiency.
WBC 109/l	10	(6.2 - 15)	White blood cells. The total number of WBC is influenced by the numbers of neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, monocytes and basophils. Leucocytosis is seen with septic and non-septic inflammatory conditions. Leucopaenia can occur during viral infection and severe leucopenia with acute bacterial infections.
NEU %	38.3	(23 - 59)	Neutrophils. Neutrophilia can arise transiently due to exercise, excitement and stress. Elevations are seen with septic and non-septic inflammatory conditions and acute bacterial infections. Corticosteroids, exogenous and endogenous, also cause a neutrophilia. Neutropenia can occur during viral infections.
NEU T 109/l	3.7	(2.4 - 6.3)	As above
EOS %	4.0	(0.9 - 9.1)	Eosinophils. Eosinophilia may be seen as a result of parasitism, allergic respiratory disease and eosinophilic leukaemia. Eosinopaenia is hard to evaluate as the numbers of eosinophils in normal donkeys are low.
EOS T 109/l	0.4	(0.1 - 0.9)	As above
BAS %	0.05	(0 - 0.5)	Basophils. Basophilia is rare in donkeys.
BAS T 109/l	0	(0 - 0.07)	As above
LYM %	54	(34 - 69)	Lymphocytes. Lymphocytosis occurs in response to chronic viral infections, autoimmune disease and with excitement or exercise. Large elevations in lymphocyte numbers can be seen in lymphoma. Lymphopaenia occurs as a result of stress, exogenous corticosteroid administration, severe bacterial or viral infections, endotoxemia and immunodeficiency.
LYM T 109/l	5.5	(2.2 - 9.6)	As above
MON %	3.0	(0 - 7.5)	Monocytes. Monocytosis can occur as a result of chronic suppurative and granulomatous inflammation. It may also be seen during recovery from viral infections of the upper respiratory tract.
MON T 109/l	0.3	(0 - 0.75)	As above
Platelets 109/l	201	(95 - 384)	Thrombocytes. Thrombocytosis is rare but can occur in bacterial infections. Thrombocytopaenia may be seen in disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), immunemediated thrombocytopenia, equine infectious anaemia (EIA), endotoxemia, equine ehrlichiosis, neoplasia, or as a result of severe haemorrhage. Artifactual reductions in platelet numbers can occur as a result of platelets clumping in EDTA.
RDW %	18.3	(16.1 - 22)
Fibrinogen g/l		(0.6 - 2.6)
Prothrombin seconds		(8.9 - 14.5)

Burden, F.A., Getachew, M., Hazell-Smith, E., Patrick, V., Trawford, R., Brooks Brownlie, H. (2015). Reference intervals for biochemical and haematological parameters in mature domestic donkeys (Equus asinus) in the UK. Equine Veterinary Education, 28 (3), 134-139

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