TABLE 14-1.
Reference Hematologic and Serum Chemistry Values for Rabbits
| Parameter | Range | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Erythrocytes (×106/μl) | 4.9-7.8 | Anisocytosis, polychromasia, low numbers of NRBCs, and Howell-Jolly bodies can be normal on rabbit blood smears for pet rabbits. |
| Hematocrit (%) | 31-50 | |
| Hemoglobin (g/dl) | 10-17.4 | |
| MCV (fl) | 57.5-75 | |
| MCH (pg) | 17.1-23.9 | |
| MCHC (%) | 28.2-37 | |
| Platelets (×103/μl) | 250-650 | |
| Leukocytes (×103/μl) | 5.2-12.5 | |
| Heterophils (%) | 20-75 | In healthy rabbits, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is usually 1 : 1 or slightly lymphocytic. |
| Lymphocytes (%) | 30-85 | |
| Monocytes (%) | 2-10 | |
| Eosinophils (%) | 0-5 | |
| Basophils (%) | 0-8 | |
| ALP (U/L) | 4-16 | |
| ALT (U/L) | 14-80 | |
| AST (U/L) | 14-113 | |
| Bicarbonate (mEq/L) | 16.2-38 | |
| Bilirubin, total (mg/dl) | 0-0.75 | |
| BUN (mg/dl) | 13-30 | |
| Calcium (mg/dl) | 5.6-14 | |
| Chloride (mEq/L) | 92-112 | |
| Cholesterol (mg/dl) | 10-80 | |
| Creatinine (mg/dl) | 0.5-2.5 | |
| Glucose (g/dl) | 75-155+ | |
| LDH (U/L) | 43-129 | |
| Lipids, total (mg/dl) | 243-390 | |
| Phosphorous (mg/dl) | 2.3-6.9 | |
| Potassium (mEq/L) | 3.6-6.9 | |
| Protein, total (g/dl) | 5.4-8.3 | |
| Albumin (g/dl) | 2.4-4.6 | |
| Globulin (g/dl) | 1.5-2.8 | |
| Sodium (mEq/L) | 131-155 | |
| Triglycerides (mg/dl) | 124-156 |
ALP, alkaline phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; MCH, mean corpuscular hemoglobin; MCHC, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration; MCV, mean corpuscular volume; NRBCs, nucleated red blood cells.
Combined data from Carpenter JW, Mashima TY, Gentz EJ et al: Caring for rabbits: an overview and formulary, Vet Med Rabbit Symposium: Rabbits Are Not Small Cats, pp 348-380, April 1995; Harcourt-Brown F: Textbook of Rabbit Medicine, London, 2002, Elsevier; Mader DR: Basic approach to veterinary care. In Queensberry KE, Carpenter JW, editors: Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, St Louis, 2004, WB Saunders; Fudge AM: Laboratory Medicine: Avian and Exotic Pets, Philadelphia, 2000, WB Saunders.