Haematological findings in healthy and diseased rabbits, a multivariate analysis

Haematological data from 94 diseased rabbits and 23 healthy adult rabbits were analysed statistically using principal components analysis and multiple discriminant function analysis. The 1st principal component accounted for 32% of the variation and was interpreted as showing total blood cellularity. This was decreased in the majority of diseased rabbits, principally due to anaemia, although in a few it was slightly increased possibly as a result of dehydration. The 2nd principal component (22% of the variation) had high positive loadings on monocyte and heterophil counts and weak negative loadings on the red cell characters. This component was interpreted as the response of the white blood cells to disease. When classification analysis was used to decide whether or not an animal was 'normal' the heterophil and lymphocyte counts alone provided almost as accurate an assessment as when all the blood parameters were taken into account. The role of these analyses in the diagnosis of disease is discussed.