Hematological values in bradypus variegatus (Schinz, 1825) from creatories of the Belém metropolitan region

Abstract

The blood tissue is made up of three main cell types: erythrocytes (red blood cells), leukocytes (white blood cells) and platelets (thrombocytes), suspended in a liquid phase named plasma. In addition to the cells, blood is composed of proteins, inorganic and organic substances, hormones and various components. The captive condition can also predispose the animal to a number of conditions, making it necessary to carry out laboratory tests for the biomonitoring of the animals. Among these tests, the complete hemogram stands out. This is done to assess the general health, guiding and deepening the nature of pathophysiological situations besides its utility as an aid to diagnosis and prognosis of certain diseases. The objective of this study is to describe the hematological values of brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus). Hence, eleven adult animals of both sexes (seven males and four females) at appropriate health conditions were used in the experiment. Blood was collected from the cephalic vein and analyzed through veterinary hematology counter. The evaluate hematological parameters included total count of erythrocytes and leukocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, average corpuscular volume, average corpuscular hemoglobin, average corpuscular hemoglobin concentration differential leukocyte count and platelet count. In general, the values did not differ from few studies in the literature. However, the score of platelets was greater in males than in females. The results achieved in the study can serve as a basis in determination and interpretation as hematologic references to brown-throated sloths in Para Amazon.