TABLE 6-6.
Blood Values and Serum Chemical Constituents for Rodents and Rabbits
| Laboratory test | Rats | Mice | Hamsters | Guinea pigs | Rabbits | Mangolian gerbils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AST (Sigma-Frankel units) | 25–42 | 32–41 | 22–36 | 10–25 | 14–27 | – |
| Alkaline phosphatase (Bodansky units) | 4.1–8.6 | 2.4–4.0 | 2.0–3.5 | 1.5–8.1 | 2.1–3.2 | – |
| BUN (mg/dL) | 10–20 | 8–30 | 10–40 | 8–20 | 5–30 | 18–24 |
| Sodium (mEq/L) | 144 | 114–154 | 106–185 | 120–155 | 100–145 | 144–158 |
| Potassium (mEq/L) | 5.9 | 3.0–9.6 | 2.3–9.8 | 6.5–8.2 | 3.0–7.0 | 3.8–5.2 |
| Bilirubin, total (mg/dL) | 0.42 | 0.18–0.54 | 0.3–0.4 | 0.24–0.30 | 0.15–0.20 | – |
| Blood glucose (mg/dL) | 50–115 | 108–192 | 32.6–118.4 | 60–125 | 50–140 | 69–119 |
| RBCs (106 cells/mm3) | 7.2–9.6 | 9.3–10.5 | 4.0–9.3 | 4.5–7.0 | 3.2–7.5 | 8.3–9.3 |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 14.8 | 12–14.9 | 9.7–16.8 | 11–15 | 10–15 | 10–16 |
| Hematocrit (%) | 40–50 | 35–50 | 40–52 | 35–50 | 35–45 | 35–45 |
| WBCs (103 cells/mm3) | 8–14 | 8–14 | 7–15 | 5–12 | 8–10 | 9–14 |
| Segmented (%) | 30 | 26 | 16–28 | 42 | 30–50 | 10–20 |
| Nonsegmented (%) | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lymphocytes (%) | 65–77 | 55–80 | 64–78 | 45–81 | 30–50 | 70–89 |
| Eosinophils (%) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Monocytes (%) | 4 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| Basophils (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BUN, blood urea nitrogen; RBCs, red blood cells; WBCs, white blood cells.
*These are values found in healthy-appearing animals and can be used as guides but should not be interpreted as physiologic norms for the species listed.
Modified from Schuchman SM: Individual care and treatment of rabbits, mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils. In Kirk RW, ed: Current Veterinary Therapy X. Philadelphia, WB Saunders,1989, p 746.