THE HEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE of the MOUNTAIN GAZELLE Ite Ke- (GAZELLA GAZELLA): VARIATIONS with SEX, AGE, IZO Ases CAPTURE METHOD, SEASON, and ANESTHESIA
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journal of Wildlife Diserues, 30(1 ), 1994, pp. 69-76 © \\liJdIHe Disease Association 1994 ,ND THE HEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE OF THE MOUNTAIN GAZELLE ite ke- (GAZELLA GAZELLA): VARIATIONS WITH SEX, AGE, IZO ases CAPTURE METHOD, SEASON, AND ANESTHESIA em Frank E. Rietkerk, Edgardo C. Delima, and Saeed M. Mubarak 'es). The Zoological Society of London, King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre, National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, P.O. Box 61681 , Riyadh 11575, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ) R. tain ABSTRACT: Hematological parameters were measured in 408 blood samples collected over a 30 hlo mo period from 254 captive mountain gazelJes (Gazella gazella) in Saudi Arabia. We evaluated I of the influence of sex, age, capture method, and season, on these parameters. Evaluations also were made with a small number of anesthetized animals. Males had a significantly higher mean cor lion. puscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) than females. There was no En observed neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio shift for either sex during the first months of life. The effects of different capture methods generally were similar in males and females and included a im significantly lower MCV and MCH after quick capture. Animals undergoing slow capture had a lilus significantly lower mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and very pronounced ! xy stress neutrophilia. We propose that this stress neutrophilia caused the permanently high neu 695 trophil: lymphocyte ratio (62:36 average for all gazelles tested) and the lack of a neutrophil: lymphocyte shift in young animals. Erythrocyte counts were significantly higher in summer, while nical packed cell volume and hemoglobin concentration were the same in summer and winter; thus )ear there was a significantly lower MCV and MCH, and a significantly higher MCHC in summer in Jorth both sexes. Fibrinogen varied significantly by sex, age, capture method, and anesthesia. bard, Key words: Mountain gazelle, Gazella gazella, hematology, capture, mean corpuscular values, ).soci stress. letry. INTRODUCTION ,9 pp. zelles may be a good indication for that found in their wild counterparts in this I J. J. King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre e-ke (KKWRC), located at Thumamah (25°30'N, part of the world. As part of a tuberculosis e-Jiv 46°30'E), 70 km north of Riyadh in Saudi testing program started in 1988, blood from urnal Arabia, presently holds a captive breeding the gazelles at KKWRC regularly was col keta herd of approximately 250 mountain ga lected. Our objectives were to describe the urnal zelles (Gazella gazella). The species is effects of sex , age, capture method, anes 180: maintained for reintroduction projects in thesia, and season on the hematological the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of which, profile of what is probably the largest, ac Pren tively managed, captive group of moun 8 pp. at Hawtat Bani Tamim, has been very suc cessful during its first 2 yr. It is unclear tain gazelles in the world. whether the mountain gazelle ever oc curred in the Riyadh area, but the species MATERIALS AND METHODS still exists in small numbers in the northern Between January 1989 and August 1991 , 395 and western parts of Saudi Arabia (Har blood samples were collected from 241 clinically rison and Bates, 1991). The subspecies kept healthy mountain gazelles. From 153 gazelles at KKWRC generally is considered to be blood was collected only once, while 60 were Gazella gazella gazella; we believe this is bled twice, 19 three times, and 15 four times. One gazelle was bled six times. A further 13 the subspecies occurring in the north of samples were collected from 13 different ga the country. Although the flat sand and zelles which had been anesthetized by dart gun gravel desert of Thumamah probably is in the large enclosure with a combination of not the species' preferred habitat, other xylazine (Rompun Dry Substance, Bayer AG, environmental characteristics such as cli Leverkusen, Germany) and ketamine (Ketaset Injection, C-Vet Ltd., Bury St. Edmunds, Suf mate are similar throughout central and folk, England). We attempted to give dosages northern Saudi Arabia. The hematological of approximately 6.5 mg/ kg body weight for profile of the Thumamah mountain ga- xylazine and 5 mg/ kg body weight for keta 69 70 JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES, VOL. 30, NO.1, JANUARY 1994 TABLE 1. Hematological values of mountain gazelles varying with age, Saudi Arabia, 1989 to 1991. TABl \ • Neonates Infa nts Juveniles Subadults Adults Parameter (n = 2") (n = II ) (n = 23) (n = 53) (n = 306) Erythrocyte count (10"I ml) Eryth Mean 10.94 12.91" 13.40' 12.8()d 11 .8 1b .<." (r SO 0.36 1.36 1.59 1.29 1.35 Me. Packed cell volume (%) I SO Mean 43.50 47.36 49.65' 48.51 47.41' ' Neon, SO 2.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.0 "Signifi , SigniB, Hemoglobin (gldl) " Signifj, Mean 14.90 15.85 16.70 16,2.5 15.97 ' Signifi, SO 020 1.40 1.59 1.42 1.42 r Mean \ Mean corpuscular volume (fl) I 40. 45b.,. <1 Mean 39.75 36.74' 37.22' 37.95" mine. SO 095 1.75 2.04 2.47 3.65 were c; Mean corpuscular hemoglobin Mou (pg) as a hel Mean 13.65 12.32" 12.57" 12.75" 13.62b.• <1 in bree SO 0.25 0.88 0.78 0.88 1.31 singly iI were fe Mean corpuscular hemoglobin falfa, aI concentration (%) pellet (C Mean 34.35 33.53 33.63 33.53 33.69 di Arabi SD 1.55 1.08 0.83 1.10 115 always a Leucocyte count (10" I ml) mals var were div Mean 3.92 3.75b < 4.68 5.18< 5.74" SO 2.32 1.04 1.43 1.49 2.28 mo old, I juvenile Neutrophils (%) 512 mo, Mean 55.50 54.64 52.52' 55.62<1 64.52, d Three, SO 17 13 16 14 15 which di. animals, Neutrophils (l0· I ml)' caught b 20,5 Mean 2.18 2.46 2.88 3.70 them to Lymphocytes (%) theaniml Mean 42.50 44.27 46.61" 43.19" 34.3(f·" were tral SO 17 12 15 14 15 structure! whereupc 9 Lymphocytes (10 / ml)' animals tJ Mean 1.67 1.66 2.18 2.24 1.97 or confim Monocytes (%) was a reh Mean 2 < 1 < 1 <1 size and sl size of the SO 0 0 1 1 of animal Eosinophils (%) >4 hr of Mean < 1 <1 < 1 < 1 < 1 called slo, SO 0 0 0 0 0 represent Basophils (%) The smaIL pens were Mean < 1 < 1 < 1 < 1 <1 ing area. SO 0 0 0 0 0 often Jasti! Fibrinogen (gi l) ture, and, Mean 1.90 2.82 2.59' 3.09" 4.44'" of short str SD 0.20 0.84 1.22 1.27 2.12 animals w( usually tool down rapi( RIETKERK ET AL--HEMATOLOGICAL PRORLE OF MOUNTAIN GAZELLE 71 991. TABLE 1. Continued. Adults Neonates Infants Juveniles Subadults Adults = 306) Parameter (n = 2' ) (n = 11) (11=23) (n = 53) (n = 306) Erythrocyte sedimentation rate 1.81b,· , (mm/ hour) 1.35 Mean 1 1 1 1 1 SD o o o o Z 17.41 ' " Neonate data insufficient for statistical analysis. 3.0 " Significant difference between inlants and adults (P < 0.01). , Significant difference be tween juve niles and adults (P < 0.01 ). " Significant differences between subadults and adults at P < 0.01. 5.97 ,. Significa nt differe nce between infants and subadults (P < 0.01). 1.42 , Mean values only: standard deviations and signibcaoce levels not determined. 10.45b.o .., mine. No actual means or standard deviations capture, and the technique was considered to 3.65 were calculated for the doses administered. represent relatively little stress for the animals. Mountain gazelles at KKWRC were housed All blood samples were collected from the as a herd in a 400 ha enclosure, as small groups jugular vein, using 18 gauge single-use Vacu L3.62b <.<1 in breeding pens of approximately 0.6 ha, or tainer needles (Becton Dickinson Vacutainer 1.31 singly in stables measuring 3 x 3 m. All animals Systems, Rutherford, New Jersey, USA) and 5 were fed the same diet, consisting of fresh al or 7 m!. Vacutainer tubes (Becton Dickinson) falfa, alfalfa hay, and a modified dairy cattle containing ethylenediamine-tetra-acetic acid pellet (Gazelle Pellet, Arasco Co. , AI Kharj, Sau (EDTA). From neonates, blood was collected 1369 di Arabia). Mineral salt blocks and water were using disposable 10 ml syringes, and transferred 1.15 always available. The age of the sampled ani to an EDTA tube. Neonates were bled < 24 hr mals varied from a few hours to > 4 yr. They of birth. Anesthetized gazeJles were bled :s20 were divided into five age groups: neonate (:s 1 min after full anesthesia was attained. Most sam 5.74 b mo old, n = 2), infant (> 1 to :s3 mo, n = 11), ples were collected in the morning. All blood 2.28 juvenile (3 to :s 6 mo, n = 23), subadult (6 to samples were evaluated the same day. A Coulter :s 12 mo, n = 53), and adult ( > 12 mo, n = 306). Counter Model ZM (Coulter Electronics Ltd., ;4.52, d Three capture methods were used at KKWRC, Luton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom) was used .5 which differed mainly in the length of time the to perform erythrocyte counts (RBC) and leu animals were driven and confined before being cocyte counts (WBC). Packed cell volume (PCV) caught by hand. On this basis we considered values were determined with a microhematocrit 3.70 them to represent different levels of stress for centrifuge (Heraeus-Christ GMBH, Osterode am the animals.