Blood Changes Observed in Laminitic Nigerian Horses

Abstract

Blood profiles of 60 Nigerian horses comprising of 22 apparently healthy (group A, as control), 27 lame non- laminitic (group B) and 11 radiographically confirmed lame laminitic horses was evaluated for possible changes in a 4 month study (March to June, 2017). Five milliliters of blood were collected from the jugular vein of each horse. Parameters evaluated include packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) count, haemoglobin (HB) concentration and white blood cell (WBC) count. In lame non-laminitic (group B) and lame laminitic (group C) horses, the mean values of PCV and RBC were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those found in the apparently healthy horses (group A). The mean numbers of white blood cells were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in lame non- laminitic (group B) and lame laminitic (group C) than those found in the apparently healthy horses (group A). The mean values of haemoglobin concentration were slightly lower in lame laminitic (group C) horses than those found in the apparently healthy horses (group A), but lame non-laminitic (group B) horses had practically same HB value with apparently healthy horses (group A). A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the mean values of neutrophil were found in the lame non-laminitic (group B) and lame laminitic (group C) horses than those found in the apparently healthy horses (group A). Lymphocytes, monocytes, basophils and eosinophils) remained statistically invariable.