Baseline Serum Chemistry, Hematology, and Serology Assessment in Black Bears (Ursus americanus) and Grizzly Bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) at a Rehabilitation Center in British Columbia

Abstract

Health assessments contribute toward an understanding of nutritional well being and disease occurrence in bears kept in captivity for rehabilitation and increase awareness of what pathogens potentially are being released along with their hosts in reintroduction situations. The Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter in Smithers, British Columbia, rehabilitates orphaned black bear cubs and is the first shelter to be permitted to rehabilitate grizzly cubs in a collaborative pilot project with the International Fund for Animal Welfare and British Columbia Ministry of Environment. Blood was collected from two grizzly bear yearlings, six black bear yearlings, and three black bear cubs housed at the shelter in 2009 for serology and hematology. The bears were tested for canine distemper, canine adenovirus 1 and 2, leptospirosis, and toxoplasmosis. Additionally, standard serum chemistries and leukocyte differentials were completed. All of the bears were negative for the infectious diseases, but showed increased levels of eosinophilia suggestive of parasitic disease and a few serum values outside of the International Species Information System (ISIS) and IDEXX reference ranges. The blood and serum values collected in this study serve as the beginning of a hematologic baseline and measurement of disease prevalence in grizzly and black bear cubs brought to the shelter for rehabilitation.