Abstract

Hematology is an essential diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine. To be fully utilized, reference intervals calculated from healthy species representatives are required for comparison to patient results. These intervals may vary significantly by species, and an independent study must be conducted for each one. While much attention has been devoted to reference intervals for traditional pets and production animals, many nontraditional species are still lacking reference data. This study aims to use historical data from multiple Species360 member aquariums, a global collaboration, to produce reference intervals for several aquatic species. Data is entered into ZIMS electronic medical records, and when sufficient results are collected, a global reference interval can be calculated based on the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathologist guidelines.¹ This reference data can then be used in practice by veterinarians and animal care staff. Over the course of the project, novel global reference intervals or basic statistics were created for various species of pinnipeds, cetaceans, and elasmobranchs, as well as multiple local reference intervals for participating institutions.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to the Van Sloun Foundation, whose generous donation to the University of Minnesota Summer Scholars program made this research possible.

*Presenting author
+Student presenter

Literature Cited

1.  Friedrichs KR, Harr KE, Freeman KP, et al. ASVCP reference interval guidelines: determination of de novo reference intervals in veterinary species and other related topics. Vet Clin Pathol. 2012;41:441–453. https://doi.org/10.1111/vcp.12006.