Analysis of red blood cell indices and electrolyte profile in diarrheic and apparent healthy non-diarrheic Sheep in and around Debre Zeit, East Shoa zone of Oromiya regional state, Ethiopia

Abstract

A study was made on Red blood cell (RBC) indices and serum electrolyte profiles of 127 sheep that shows clinical manifestation of diarrhea and non-diarrheic, between December 2006 and June 2007, in and around Bishoftu/Debre Zeit area. The mean values of red blood cell (RBC) count, Haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, packed cell volume (PCV) and egg per gram of feaces (epg) for non-diarrheic sheep were 10.6± 0.21 million I¼L-1, 10.5± 0.25 gdL-1, 36.7± 13.53% and 69.8± 13.53, respectively. The average mean corpuscular volume (MCV), Mean corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), Mean corpuscular Hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were 34.5± 0.63 fl, 10.0± 0.27 pg, 28.8 ± 0.58 g dL-1, respectively. The mean serum electrolyte values showed 141.5 ± 0.64 mmol L-1, 4.7± 0.12 mmo1 L-1 and 110.7± 0.56 mmol L-1 for sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+) and chloride (Cl-), respectively. The mean values of RBC count, Hb concentration, PCV and epg of diarrheic sheep were 9.5±0.18 million I¼L-1, 9.6±0.16 gdL-1, 33.1±0.57% and 923.8±77.59, respectively. The mean MCV, MCH, and MCHC were 35.3±0.6 fl, 10.2± 0.16 pg and 29.3± 0.48 gdL-, respectively. The average electrolyte values (Na+, K+, Cl-) were 132.4 ± 0.41 mmol L–1, 4.6 ± mmol L-1 and, 105.8± 0.48 mmol L–1 respectively. Diarrheic sheep show significantly (P