SEROLOGIC AND HEMATOLOGIC VALUES OF BISON IN COLORADO Author(s): EDWARD O. KEITH and JAMES E. ELLISROBERT W. PHILLIPSMAXINE M. BENJAMIN Source: Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 14(4):493-500. Published By: Wildlife Disease Association DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-14.4.493 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.7589/0090-3558-14.4.493

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Journal

of Wildlife

Diseases

SEROLOGIC

Vol. 14. October.

AND

1978

493

HEMATOLOGIC

VALUES

OF BISON

IN

W

EDWARD 0. KEITH Fort Collins, Colorado

and JAMES E. ELLIS, 80523, USA.

ROBERT

W. PHILLIPS.

MAXINE

M. BENJAMIN,

Department

Natural

Resource

of Physiology

and

of Pathology,

Department

Ecology

Biophysics.

Colorado

Laboratory, Colorado

State

Colorado State

University.

University,

Fort

State

University, Fort

Collins,

Collins.

Abstract:

Recent economic and aesthetic interest in North American bison (Bison has lead to increased interstate transport of these animals. Serologic and hematobogic standards for bison are needed to detect disease in transported animals as well as within herds. This paper describes variation in blood physiological parameters in bison caused by variations in diet and season. Blood was taken from six bison and analyzed for serologic and hematobogic parameters. Significant variation was found in blood urea nitrogen, chloride, cholesterol, creatinine, eosinophil, glucose, hemoglobin, lactic dehydrogenase, leukocyte, packed cell volume, potassium, serum globulin, serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, SGP’F, and sodium levels between animals receiving a high energy-high nitrogen diet and animals receiving a bow energy-low nitrogen diet.

bison)

INTRODUCTION Bison are becoming increasingly popular for aesthetic and economic reasons creating a need for baseline information. Transport of bison also has become more frequent. Therefore, the need for standards to evaluate hematobogic and serologic samples from these animals has arisen. Data presented here contribute to determining the range of normal variation in bison blood values.

MATERIALS

AND

METHODS

Values presented were taken from six bison maintained at the Pawnee Site, field research facility of the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, located on the United States Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration Federal Research, Central Plains Experimental Range in northeastern Colorado. The location, vegetation,

This paper DEB73-02027 “Analysis

reports A03,

on and

of Structure.

work supported DEB73-02027 Function,

and

-

physiography, and climate have been described by Jameson.7 The animals had been used for diet selection and digestibility studies from 1969 to 1972.12 During blood sampling, the animals were being used to investigate nitrogen metabolism, especially urea recycling.8 Samples were taken on 1 December 1975, 1 March 1976, 9 June 1976, and 21 October 1976. From 11 November 1975 to 1 May 1976, the animals were divided into two groups, one of which received a high energy-high nitrogen diet consisting of crested wheatgrass hay (6% crude protein, 4030 cab/g gross energy) and a supplement (Pawnee mix: 15% crude protein, 4160 cal/g gross energy). The other group received a bow energybow nitrogen diet consisting solely of the crested wheatgrass hay. Both groups were fed ad libitum. After 1 May 1976 all animals received approximately 11 kg of supplement per day, and grazed freely on a 16.2-ha native pasture (11% crude pro-

in part by National A04 to the Grassland Utilization

Science Foundation Biome, US. International

of Grassland

Ecosystems.”

Grants BMS73-02027 Biological Program,

A02, for

Journal

494

tein). On 1 October 1976 the bison began receiving a different crested wheatgrass hay in addition to the pasture forage and Pawnee mix which was probably similar to the hay fed previously.

groups

female;

tE

=

esophageal;

M

Becton,

Dickinson

Hycel,

Incorporated,

Coulter

Diagnostics,

Fistuba

Typet

Fistuba

Date

Diet

Group B - Low Bison 1 Bison 8 Bison 13 =

1978

Results of analyses are presented in Table 2. Because the two groups of bison were receiving different diets during the first two sampling dates, averages (±1 SD) for each diet group (3 animals per group) are presented for the 1 December and 1 March sample dates. Data collected after completion of the diet trials, when all animals were receiving the same ration, are presented as mean values for all animals for the 9 June (6

Sex*

CF

14. October,

of bison.

Group Group A - High Bison 15 Bison 10 Bison 12

Vol.

RESULTS

Blood was taken from the left external jugular vein and placed in two Vacutainers,1 one containing a premeasured amount of EDTA anticoagulant. The blood was kept chilled during transport to the Clinical Pathology Laboratory, Veterinary Hospital, Colorado State University, for analysis. Time from collection of blood until delivery to the lab varied from 2 to 6 h, depending on the order of animal sampled. A Hyceb Mark 17 was used to

1. Diet

Diseases

determine serological values, and a Coubter Counter Model FN was used for total leukocyte and erythrocyte counts. Packed cell volume was determined by micro-hematocrit and differential counts were made from Wrightstained blood smears examined under oil immersion using standard counting techniques. Student’s-T tests4 were used to detect significant differences between the groups for selected parameters. Significant differences are discernible in Table 2. Values followed by the same better indicate significant differences in the same row, or between diet groups for the first two sample dates.

At the start of feeding trials, six animals obtained from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma were available for blood sampling. Four of these had rumen fistubas and two had esophageal fistubas (Table 1). However, in September, 1976 an animal (#10) died of unknown causes. Samples were taken from the remaining five animals on 21 October. Necropsy of Animal 10 did not reveal any single major cause of death, although encapsulated kidneys were implicated.

TABLE

of Wildlife

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1971 16 Sept. 1975 12 Dec. 1975

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1971 1971 12 Dec.

Diet

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ruminab.

Company, Houston,

Rutherford,

New

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Texas.

740 W. 83rd

Ave.,

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33014,

USA.

1975

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deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and whitetailed deer (0. virginianus) on varying planes of nutrition. Differences in blood chemistry values apparently caused by nutrition were evident. Torreb et al.’6 discussed using blood urea nitrogen as an .

index

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excitement, and circadian and rhythms. Using data from a of sources, Bailey’ compared blood chemistry values for mule

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DISCUSSION

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If the December and March data are pooled to give a total of six samples per group for an assessment of “winter” condition, the high diet group had significantly higher average BUN levels (P < 0.05) and average cholesterol levels (P < 0.01) but had significantly lower packed cell volumes (hematocrit) (P < 0.01) than the bow diet group.

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to the nutntional status of sheep. BUN was correlated to nitrogen intake(r = 0.99) and weight gain (r = 0.95).

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bison, and found significant differences in leukocyte numbers, neutrophib percentage, lymphocyte percentage, and cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, and SGOT levels. Mehrer’#{176}also found significant differences between age groups of male bison, but not of female bison. Because our animals were all about the same age, differences due to age were not distinguishable.

The bow-diet group had significantly higher SGOT bevels in March than in June, indicating that these animals were under some stress during this period. SGOT values for the high diet group in March, and for all animals in December and October were comparable to those obtained by Marber.9 Significantly high values could indicate cell necrosis and myopathy.5 Low LDH bevels indicate that the animals were under little stress at the time of sampling,’4 while higher levels have little meaning without isoenzyme determinations to identify the source. A sidelight not evident from the data presented is that bison with esophageal fistulas had higher leukocytic counts than did other animals in the March samples. This perhaps is a reflection of stress caused by the fistula; however, counts were not different in any other sample period. SGOT levels in esophageabby fistulated animals were not different in the March sample, indicating little cell necrosis in these animals. Except for this single aberration no significant differences were discernible between animals with different fistulas, although we were unable to sample nonfistulated animals to examine the effects of fistulation itself.

Our major interest was in variation of blood values caused by diet. Animals receiving a low protein diet in December had low serum globulin levels, while animals receiving an adequate diet had high globulin values. Animals receiving a high protein-high energy diet had high glucose, potassium, and cholesterol bevels. BUN for both groups in December was slightly bower than later values, as were sodium, LDH, and SGPT. In March the groups were not as different as they were in December, the low diet group having more normal total protein and serum globulin levels, but lower cholesterol levels and the high diet group having a lower blood glucose average and a lower cholesterol level. The low BUN of the low diet group in winter may be caused by that group’s low protein intake. ‘5

LITERATURE 1.

2. 3.

CITED

BAILEY, J.A. 1969. Rumino-reticubar contents and blood constituents as parameters of nutritional condition in North American deer. In: Recent Advances in Wildlife Nutrition: Papers from a Graduate Student Seminar in Wildlife Biology, JA. Bailey and J.G. Nagy(Eds.)pp. 94-117. Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, Colorado. DIETERICH, R.A. and JR. LUICK. 1971. Reindeer in biomedical research. Lab. Anim. Sci. 21: 817-824. DREVEMO, parameters

S.,

J.G. of wild

4.

EDWARDS, A.L. 1969. New York. 244 pp.

5.

FRANZMAN, bighorn

6.

GROOTENHUIS

ruminants

in Kenya.

Statistical

Analysis.

and L KARSTAD. 1974. J. Wibdl. Dis. 10: 327-334. Holt,

A.W. 1971. Comparative physiologic sheep. J. Wildi. Dis. 7: 105-108.

. 1972. Environmental values. J. Wildl. Manage.

sources of variation 36: 924-932.

Rinehart values of bighorn

and

Blood

Winston,

in captive

and

sheep

physiologic

Inc., wild

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JAMESON, Grassland Colorado.

DA. 1969. General Biome Tech. Rep. 162 pp.

8.

KEITH, the

and J.E. ELLIS. 1976. Urea recycling annual meeting of the Southwestern AAA.S, Tucson. Abs. pubb. in J. Ariz.

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MARLER, R.J. of American

E.O. 52nd

Division,

description of No. 1. Colorado

1975. Some hematobogic and bison in Kansas. J. Wildl.

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MEHRER, United

C.F. 1976. Some States. J. Wildb.

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PAYNE, J.M., G.J. ROWLANDS, R PARKER. 1974. A statistical appraisal on 191 herds in the BVA/ADAS productivity. Br. Vet. J. 130: 34-44.

12.

PEDEN, D.G. 1972. The trophic relations of Ph.D. thesis. Colorado State University, PEDERSEN, of elk.

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SEARCY, York.

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THORNE, T.P. 1970. Physiologic canadensis) at capture, after Ass. 157: 647-650.

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RJ. and A.A. J. Wild!. Manage. RL 660

1969. pp.

PEDERSEN. 39: 617-620.

MANSTON, of the results joint exercise

DiagnosticBiochemistry. values in wild handling, and

Blood

from

five

S.M. DEW of metabolic in animal

Collins, chemistry

bighorn

shortgrass

Colorado.

McGraw-Hill

after

Site. Fort

values

Bison bison to the

1975.

14. October.

1978

US/IBP Collins,

in bison. Paper presented and Rocky Mountain Acad. Sd. 11: 22.

in bison

Fort

Vol.

the Pawnee State Univ.,

blood chemistry Die. 11: 97-100.

hematobogic values Dis. 12: 7-13.

13.

Diseases

at

in two herds areas

of the

and W.H. profile test health and prairie.

134 pp.

and hematology BookCo.,

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sheep (Ovis canadensis J. Am. vet. med.

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TORREL, D.T., I.D. HUME and W.C. WEIR. 1974. Factors affecting blood urea nitrogen and its use as an index to the nutritional status of sheep. J. Anim. So. 39: 435-440.

Received

for publication

14 November

1977