Reference intervals for hematological and biochemical analytes in a single herd of clinically healthy gelding donkeys in Saint Kitts.
Authors: Lizarraga Ignacio, Beeler-Marfisi Janet, Marshall David L, Hassan Maliha, Castillo-Alcala Fernanda, Simon Bradley T, Fraites Trellor, Thrall Mary Anna
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Haematological and Biochemical Reference Intervals for Caribbean Donkeys Donkeys represent a significant livestock population in Saint Kitts, yet clinically applicable reference intervals (RIs) for laboratory analytes have been absent—a gap that undermines diagnostic confidence and clinical decision-making in equine veterinary practice. Following American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology guidelines, researchers established baseline values from 66 clinically healthy gelding standard donkeys (median age 5 years, mean body weight 156 kg) using impedance-based haematology analysis, photometric clinical chemistry assessment, and electrochemical electrolyte quantification. The resulting 43 analyte reference intervals include key parameters such as haematocrit (23.67–38.08%), red blood cells (4.08–6.42 × 10¹²/L), white blood cells (4.7–12.34 × 10⁹/L), total protein (5.84–6.93 g/dL), glucose (64.7–130.9 mg/dL), blood urea nitrogen (11.1–13.4 mg/dL), and creatinine (0.67–1.36 mg/dL), with validation of consistency between analytical systems for most variables. These population-specific values are essential for practitioners working with Caribbean donkeys, as they enable appropriate interpretation of laboratory results and facilitate evidence-based clinical management—particularly important given potential differences in nutrition, environmental stressors, and disease exposure compared with temperate-climate donkey populations.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Veterinarians in Saint Kitts can now use these donkey-specific reference intervals for clinical decision-making instead of relying on horse or generic equine values, which may not accurately reflect donkey physiology
- •When interpreting results from different laboratory analyzers, clinicians should be aware that BUN, calcium, CK, and sodium may show poor agreement between systems and should use consistent methodology for serial monitoring
- •The established RIs for common analytes (hematocrit, glucose, creatinine, total protein) provide baseline values specific to the local donkey population for evaluating clinical health status
Key Findings
- •Reference intervals established for 43 hematological and biochemical analytes in Saint Kitts donkeys, including hematocrit 23.67–38.08%, RBC 4.08–6.42 10¹²/L, WBC 4.7–12.34 10⁹/L, and glucose 64.7–130.9 mg/dL
- •Good agreement between detection systems for albumin, AST, GGT, total protein, globulin, and potassium, but poor agreement for BUN, calcium, CK, and sodium
- •This is the first establishment of hematological and biochemical reference intervals for donkeys in Saint Kitts, addressing a clinical diagnostic gap