Effect of age on the blood profiles of the New Zealand rabbit in Nigeria

Abstract

The hematological and biochemical parameters of the young (4-8 week
old) and adult (52-80 week-old) New Zealand rabbit were determined.
The young rabbit had significantly higher plasma concentrations of
creatinine (P<0.01), alkaline phosphatase (P<0.05), alanine
aminootransaminase (P<0.02) and total protein (P<0.02) and mean
corpuscular haemoglobin (P<0.001). However, the red blood cell counts,
white blood cell counts, haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume,
mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and the plasma levels of
sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, urea, albumin, albumin/globulin
ratio and aspartate aminotranferase were similar in the young and adult
rabbit. (Afr. J. Biomed. Res. 10:99 - 102, January 2007)

Keywords: Age, blood cells, rabbit