Hematological and Biochemical Reference Intervals for Mules in Chile

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Comparative Physiology
• Clinical Pathology

Background:

• Hematological and biochemical reference intervals (RI) are vital for animal health assessment and treatment.
• Mules often lack specific RI, leading to reliance on horse or donkey data, risking misinterpretation.
• Accurate RI are essential for proper diagnosis and management of equine hybrids.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish hematological and biochemical reference intervals (RI) for healthy mules.
• To compare these mule-specific RI with existing data for horses, donkeys, and other mule populations.
• To underscore the importance of species-specific reference values in veterinary diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed 32 blood parameters from 142 healthy Chilean mules (mixed breed mares × Baudet du Poitou).
• Calculated reference intervals using International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards.
• Compared obtained mule RI with published data for donkeys and working horses from various regions.

Main Results:

• Chilean mule RI showed limited overlap with UK donkey and Pakistani working horse RI.
• No similarities were found between Chilean mule RI and Portuguese mule RI.
• Mule values aligned with Chilean working horse RI for 11 of 25 variables.
• Significant differences in blood biochemistry were observed, potentially due to husbandry, diet, work, and genetics.

Conclusions:

• Established reference intervals for healthy Chilean mules.
• Highlighted significant differences between mule RI and those of horses and donkeys, emphasizing the need for mule-specific data.
• Recommended further research into mule reference values across diverse conditions and genetic backgrounds.