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Cross‐sectional observational survey of serum biochemistry values in a population of 69 adult female alpacas ( Vicugna pacos ) in South Australia
Author(s) -
Cockcroft PD,
Mackie I,
Perry J,
Caraguel C,
Townsend K,
Reichel MP
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
australian veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.382
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1751-0813
pISSN - 0005-0423
DOI - 10.1111/avj.12421
Subject(s) - population , cross sectional study , haemolysis , veterinary medicine , biology , zoology , medicine , environmental health , immunology , pathology
Blood samples were collected from 69 ‘healthy’ female alpacas aged ≥12 months from 11 properties in South Australia. The 10–90 percentile ranges of the 16/19 analytes measured in this sample population were within the published ranges of four healthy alpaca populations from other geographic locations. Marginal exceptions were glutamate dehydrogenase and bicarbonate. Potassium was notably elevated, probably because of haemolysis of some samples. The sample size was insufficient to provide the appropriate statistical power to define diagnostic references ranges according to international standards. The health status of the sample population of alpacas was presumptive based on a physical examination.