Equine Biochemistry

()Map WIKINORMALS (Map) EQUINE SECTION

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Horse

Serum Type	Units	Full Units	Normal Ranges
INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM (SI) UNITS
Bicarbonate	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	22 - 29
Bilirubin	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	5.4 - 51
Calcium	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	2.6 - 3.3
Chloride	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	97 - 110
Cholesterol	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	1.8 - 3.7
Creatinine	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	77 - 175
Glucose	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	3.5 - 6.3
Magnesium	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	0.7 - 1.1
Phosphorus	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	0.7 - 1.7
Potassium	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	2.8 - 4.7
Protein Albumin	g/L	Grams per litre	57 - 79
Protein Globulin	g/L	Grams per litre	24 - 46
Sodium	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	133 - 147
Urea Nitrogen	mmol/L	Millimoles per litre	3.7 - 8.8
UNITED STATES UNITS
Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)	u/L	Units per litre	2.7 - 21
Amylase	u/L	Units per litre	47 - 188
Alkaline Phosphatase	u/L	Units per litre	70 - 227
Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)	u/L	Units per litre	116 - 287
Creatine Kinase	u/L	Units per litre	34 - 166
Gamma Glutamyltransferase (GGT)	u/L	Units per litre	2.7 - 22
Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)	u/L	Units per litre	102 - 341
Sorbitol Dehydrogenase (SDH)	u/L	Units per litre	1.2 - 8.5
Bicarbonate	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	22 - 29
Bilirubin	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	0.3 - 3.0
Calcium	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	10.4 - 13.4
Chloride	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	97 - 110
Cholesterol	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	71 - 142
Creatinine	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	0.9 - 2.0
Glucose	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	62 - 114
Magnesium	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	1.8 - 2.7
Phosphorus	mg/dL	Milligrams per deci-litre	2.3 - 5.4
Potassium	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	2.8 - 4.7
Protein Albumin	g/dL	Grams per deci-litre	5.7 - 7.9
Protein Globulin	g/dL	Grams per deci-litre	2.5 - 3.8
Sodium	mEq/dL	Milliequivalents per deci-litre	133 - 147
Urea Nitrogen	mg/dL	Milligrams per deci-litre	10.4 - 25

Kahn, Cynthia M., Line, Scott., Aiello, Susan E. (2005) The Merck Veterinary Manual. Ninth Edition ed. New Jersey, United States of America: Merck & Co., Inc. & Merial Limited. pp.Serum Biochemical Reference Guides.

Donkey

Parameter/units	Average	Range	Interpretation
Trig mmol/l	1	(0.2 - 4.3)	Triglyceride. Elevations occur in hyperlipaemia.
CPK IU/l	97	(36 - 360)	Creatine phosphokinase. Elevations seen in the presence of acute myopathy: Skeletal myopathy, cardiac myopathy and brain pathology.
AST IU/l	220	(11 - 402)	Aspartate aminotransferase. Elevations seen with acute myopathy or hepatopathy. Elevations in combination with CPK indicate that muscle is the most likely source.
GGT IU/l	29	(13 - 79)	Gamma glutamyl transferase. Found in hepatocyte and biliary cell membranes, pancreas and the kidney. Elevations are seen in acute hepatitis, chronic liver cirrhosis, chronic pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicity and rarely with pancreatitis.
GLDH IU/l	2.9	(0.7 - 14.6)	Glutamate dehydrogenase. A mitochondrial enzyme; elevations seen with acute hepatocellular damage, and sometimes seen in skin conditions and enteropathy.
ALP IU/l	265	(110 - 563)	Alkaline phosphatase. A brush border enzyme; elevations are seen in chronic biliary obstructive liver pathology, abnormalities of bone metabolism and intestinal disease.
Bile acids	<20	.	Elevations occur with impaired hepatobiliary function such as cholelithiasis, acute hepatitis, chronic liver cirrhosis, and chronic pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicity. May sometimes be seen with hyperlipaemia, malignant lymphoma and toxic myopathy.
Tbil μmol/l	2.7	(1.4 - 7.7)	Total bilirubin. Increases may be difficult to interpret without clinical disease. Levels can increase with anorexia and intestinal malfunction.
TP g/l	70	(58 - 82)	Total protein. Composed of albumin and globulins. Elevations seen with dehydration, inflammation and myeloma. Decreases may be seen with renal and gastrointestinal disease (loss), hepatic disease and starvation (reduced production).
Alb g/l	28	(20 - 34)	Albumin. Hypoalbuminaemia may be seen with decreased synthesis resulting from intestinal malabsorption, malnutrition, chronic inflammatory disease and chronic liver disease. It is lost in renal disease and gastrointestinal disease. Hypoalbuminaemia occurs only in severe dehydration.
Amylase IU/l	8	(0 - 24)	Elevations occur with pancreatitis.
Lipase IU/l	16	(1 - 66)	Elevations occur with pancreatitis.
Glucose mmol/l	.	(3.1 - 5)	Blood glucose concentration is related to diet, insulin, glucagon and body requirement. Prolonged hyperglycaemia is seen in hyperadrenocorticism and pituitary adenoma. A transient hyperglycaemia occurs postprandially and with stress. Hypoglycaemia can be seen in liver failure, septicaemia, malabsorption and starvation. Can be used for the diagnosis of intestinal malabsorption. False reductions in serum glucose may occur in vitro due to glycolysis by erythrocytes.
Na mmol/l	.	(130 - 149)	Sodium. Hypernatremia may be seen in dehydration and salt poisoning. Hyponatraemia can occur with diarrhoea, adrenal insufficiency, renal disease, excessive sweating or sequestration of fluid. Hyponatraemia with hyperkalemia may occur in uroperitoneum and hypoadrenocorticism.
K mmol/l	.	(2.8 - 4.3)	Serum potassium is not a reliable indicator of total body potassium as concentrations vary between the intracellular and extracellular fluid, and values should be interpreted in conjunction with blood pH. Hyperkalemia can occur with tissue necrosis, strenuous exercise, acidemia, uroperitoneum, hypoadrenocorticism and artefactually with erythrocyte haemolysis. Hypokalemia can occur with anorexia, excess sweating, urinary and gastrointestinal loss.
Cl mmol/l	.	(95 - 108)	Changes in chloride concentration may accompany changes in sodium concentration, and vary inversely with bicarbonate concentration. Hypochloridemia can result from loss of gastric HCl e.g. in obstruction of the small intestine, and anterior enteritis. It may also occur with loss of colonic Cl e.g. in colitis.
Chol mmol/l	.	(1 - 3)	Elevations in cholesterol can occur if there is abnormal lipid metabolism and hyperlipaemia.

References

• Svendsen, E.D., Duncan, J. and Hadrill, D. (2008) The Professional Handbook of the Donkey, 4th edition, Whittet Books, Appendix 1

NORMAL VALUES - DONKEY WIKINORMALS

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