CLINICAL CHEMISTRY AND HEMATOLOGIC REFERENCE INTERVALS OF CAPTIVE RACCOONS (PROCYON LOTOR) IN GERMANY

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Wildlife Health
• Clinical Pathology

Background:

• Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are common in North America and invasive globally, frequently requiring veterinary attention.
• Limited blood reference intervals hinder accurate health assessments in raccoons.
• Establishing these values is vital for effective wildlife rescue and medical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish clinical chemistry and hematologic reference intervals for raccoons (Procyon lotor).
• To provide essential data for the health assessment of raccoons in human care.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples were collected from 48 healthy young adult pet raccoons during castration.
• Analyzed 27 clinical chemistry and 16 hematologic analytes using cobas® 8000 and Sysmex XN-V analyzers.
• Investigated potential sex-specific differences in measured analytes.

Main Results:

• Established reference intervals for 27 clinical chemistry and 16 hematologic parameters in raccoons.
• Found no significant sex-specific differences, except for immature reticulocyte fraction and mean corpuscular volume.
• Results indicate minimal sex-based variation in young, non-pregnant/lactating raccoons.

Conclusions:

• The established reference intervals will significantly improve the clinical assessment of raccoons.
• This data is crucial for enhancing medical care and treatment protocols for raccoons in human care.
• Supports better wildlife management and rehabilitation efforts for this species.