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Hematological and Biochemical Reference Intervals for Mules in Chile.

Javiera Lagos¹, Tamara A Tadich²

¹Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias, Campus Sur, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Frontiers in Veterinary Science

|November 30, 2019

Summary

Establishing specific hematological and biochemical reference intervals (RI) for mules is crucial. This study determined mule RI, revealing significant differences compared to horses and donkeys, highlighting the need for mule-specific data.

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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).

Keywords:

biochemistry blood reference intervals hematology mules working equids

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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.