Circannual variations in baseline blood values of dogs

Forty-two hematological and biochemical variables routinely measured in dogs as part of a preoperative protocol have been analyzed for circannual changes by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and single cosinor procedures. Data were available from up to 489 adult mongrel dogs of both sexes studied on weekdays over a 5-year span (January 5, 1987 to December 18, 1991). Dogs were housed in individual cages at 24 +/- 1 degrees C with dog chow and tap water available ad libitum and lights on between 06:00 and 18:00 h. A single blood sample/dog was collected by jugular venipuncture between 08:00 and 09:00 h and sent to a commercial laboratory for hematological and biochemical determinations. Data were assigned to date and time of sampling and analyzed for the effect of time of year by ANOVA (across 12 months and 4 seasons), and by the least-squares fit of a precise 1-year cosine. ANOVA and single cosinor described a significant circannual time effect and rhythm for the following: total leukocytes, lymphocytes, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), MCH concentration, red cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), BUN/creatinine ratio, amylase, glucose, chloride, uric acid, direct bilirubin, total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/ALT ratio. A significant effect of season by ANOVA only was found for: Ca, Na, phosphorus, total bilirubin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and neutrophils. No significant time effect could be found at p < or = 0.05 by either statistical method for: K, Mg, Fe, cholesterol, triglycerides, ASP, red blood cells, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils, or platelets. Acrophases occurred for the most part in either the winter or summer.