Abstract
ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the physiological and hematological parameters of sheep in Brazil. Therefore, 5,081 observations were used from previous experiments with animals from different Brazilian regions with the time of day, gender, breed, age, physiological characteristics, hematological and climatic variables. The animals were classified according to their stress level, and only data of non-stressed animals were used to calculate the reference values. Respiratory rate was the parameter that most differed from the normal range, with values above the limits usually reported for the species, being higher in commercial wool sheep. For hematological variables, differences were observed between the present results and the previously reported values in the literature. A higher number of red blood cells (RBC), lower hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were observed in young animals. A higher number of RBC and MCHC were noted in sheep crossed with local breeds. Considering that physiological and hematological parameters are indicators of the animal's pathological or physiological state, for a correct interpretation of the results, the use of reference values based on animals with similar racial characteristics and subjected to similar environmental conditions is recommended.
Highlights
IntroductionBiochemical and hematological constituents are important indicators of the animal's physiological or pathological state (Ahmad et al, 2003)
Changes in physiological parameters, biochemical and hematological constituents are important indicators of the animal's physiological or pathological state (Ahmad et al, 2003)
In commercial wool (CW) adults, the average heart rate was higher than the intervals mentioned in the literature
Summary
Biochemical and hematological constituents are important indicators of the animal's physiological or pathological state (Ahmad et al, 2003). Researchers have reported an increase in some blood parameters such as the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin concentration with age development (David et al, 2012). A study with Morada Nova sheep observed average red blood cell count values and hematocrit higher than those reported in the literature for small ruminants (Chaves et al, 2009). Small variations do not necessarily indicate any disturbance (Resende et al, 2013). A study carried out in Croatia found that the reference values used in the literature were inappropriate, and the calculation of specific confidence intervals for each geographical region is recommended (Šimpraga et al, 2013). The interpretation of the results depends on precise reference intervals that represent the studied population
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