Abstract
Changes in leukocyte numbers were monitored over a 3-year period in a small group of captive tammar wallabies, Macropus eugenii, maintained in the animal research facilities at Macquarie University (NSW, Australia). The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (N/L), a commonly used parameter in the assessment of health status in wildlife populations, was not useful when applied between animal populations but did reliably predict changes within individual animals and between animals within the study cohort. This study also demonstrated the importance of obtaining haematological values from animals on more than one occasion to ensure that differential cell counts from asymptomatic individuals do not unduly influence the determination of reference values.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 63-69 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Comparative Clinical Pathology |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2006 |
Keywords
- Blood cells
- Leukocyte
- Macropus eugenii
- Marsupial
- N/L ratio
- Tammar wallaby