Table 3.
Blood parameters (mean ± SEM) in cats (n = 8) fed CON, +LC, +POLI or +RP diets* that significantly differed among 28-day treatment periods
| Parameter | Reference interval * | Period 1 | Period 2 | Period 3 | Period 4 | SEM | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCV (fl) | 39.0–52.0 | 48 a | 45 b | 44 b | 44 b | 1.0 | <0.01 |
| MCH (pg) | 13.0–17.0 | 16 a | 15 a b | 15 b | 14 b | 0.35 | <0.01 |
| MCHC (g/l) | 317.0–350.0 | 329 b | 336 b | 328 b | 310 a | 2.35 | <0.01 |
| RDW (%) | 13.0–17.0 | 14 b | 14 b | 15 a | 15 a | 0.16 | <0.01 |
| Ca (mmol/l) | 2.22–2.78 | 2.40 c | 2.43 b c | 2.42 b c | 2.48 b | 0.018 | 0.03 |
| P (mmol/l) | 0.80–2.29 | 1.65 a | 1.53 b c | 1.58 c | 1.53 b c | 0.031 | 0.04 |
| Mg (mmol/l) | 0.80–1.10 | 0.96 b | 0.91 b | 0.91 b | 0.87 a | 0.016 | <0.01 |
| K (mmol/l) | 3.6–5.2 | 4.7 a | 4.4 b | 4.7 a | 4.5 b | 0.081 | 0.04 |
| Urea (mmol/l) | 6.0–12.0 | 7.9 a | 7.7 b | 7.3 b c | 7.2 b c | 0.15 | <0.01 |
CON = control diet with no supplementation; +LC = control diet supplemented with L-carnitine; +POLI = control diet supplemented with encapsulated policosanol; +RP = control diet supplemented with raw policosanol; MCV = mean cell volume; MCH = mean cell hemoglobin; MCHC = mean cell hemoglobin concentration; RDW = red cell distribution width; Ca = calcium; P = phosphorus; Mg = magnesium; K = potassium
*
Reference interval determined by the Animal Health Laboratory (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
a–c
Values in a row with different superscript letters are significantly different (P <0.05)