Baseline haematological, serum biochemical and some urine parameters in Nigerian indigenous dogs

 Haematological and serum biochemical profiles of dogs are essential in the diagnosis and monitoring of systemic disease in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the baseline haematological, serum biochemical and some urine parameters in clinically healthy dogs presented to the Veterinary teaching hospital (VTH), Ahmadu Bello University (A.B.U.), Zaria, Nigeria. Methods: Thirty apparently healthy dogs comprising of 19 males and 11 females aged between 9 to 36 months were sampled in this study. Whole blood was collected via cephalic venepuncture for determination of haematological parameters. Serum was processed from the whole blood to determine the concentrations of serum metabolites, serum electrolytes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio, anion gap (AG) as well as serum activities of liver enzymes. Urinalysis was done using urine. Data was analysed using Graph pad prism version 5.2. Mean values were determined. Results: No significant (p > 0.05) differences related to sex were observed in the values of packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, red blood cell counts (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), differential and total white blood cell counts. The PCV (p < 0.005), Hb (p < 0.05) and Hb (p < 0.01) of the adults were significantly higher in the young Nigerian indigenous dogs. However, the MCV, MCHC, differential and total white blood cell counts were insignificant in both age groups. Significance: These baseline data would help clinicians to recognize deviations from normal clinicopathological parameters especially in Nigerian Indigenous dogs.