Shonda Oderkirk and J.E. Blake
Institute of Arctic Biology

Supporting Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Normal ranges of blood values are available for many domestic animals, making clinical evaluation possible for the individual or the population. Generally speaking there are no normal blood value ranges for captive or free ranging wildlife. Having these established ranges would prove to be extremely useful in the care and maintenance of captive and/or free-ranging wildlife, in this case reindeer. This study has three main objectives: 1) to establish normal blood values for reindeer living in the animal research facilities at the Institute of Arctic Biology, as well as determining if there are any seasonal fluctuations in these values, 2) by looking at animals that are known to have some acute or chronic disease, determine if there are detectable levels of haptoglobin in their serum, if haptoglobin is detectable, then rising levels will be evaluated in animals that have recently undergone surgery, and 3) a range of serum trace minerals and blood selenium will be established. Normal blood values will be determined by two combined methods: blood draws once a month for 12 months from 10 healthy female reindeer, and from existing data on the IAB Veterinary Services database. All samples drawn currently and blood drawn in the past (information on database), have had a standardized complete blood count and serum biochemical profile (Table 3) performed. The presence of haptoglobins will be tested with the Helena Laboratories Haptoglobin Test Kit. Serum from animals with known diseases will be tested first, followed by the serum collected at regular intervals from reindeer after castration. Finally the trace mineral analyses will be done on archived serum from culled animals (Table 3). Normal ranges will be established in the serum and compared to levels seen in the liver.

Table 3. The parameters to be measured in the complete blood count, biochemical profile and serum and liver trace minerals in captive reindeer.