Point-of-care blood gases and critical care blood chemistry and haematology reference values in captive gyr falcons (Falco rusticolus)

Blood samples were obtained from a total of 94 clinically normal captive gyr falcons (Falco rusticolus) divided into two groups. The first group comprised 44 gyr falcons (35 females and 9 males). These falcons were 5 to 6 months old and were destined for the sport of falconry. The second group comprised 50 gyr falcons, (26 females and 24 males). These falcons were 2 to 9 years old and were part of the captive breeding programme at the Falcon Department, Wildlife Division, Wrsan, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The samples were obtained in order to determine blood gases and critical care blood chemistry and haematology reference values in clinically normal captive gyr falcons. Blood samples were analysed using a new portable clinical analyser (PCA) (Enterprise Point of Care System, EPOC, Epocal Inc., Otawa, Canada). The values analysed included Per hydron (pH), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), sodium (Na ++), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca++), chloride (Cl−), glucose (Glu), lactate (Lac), haematocrit (Hct), creatinine (Crea), total carbon dioxide (cTCO2), bicarbonate (cHCO3), base excess at extracellular compartment (BE), oxygen saturation (cSO2), anion gap (AGaPK) and haemoglobin (Hgb). Statistical analysis of the data obtained was carried out and included the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, standard error of mean and the inner limits of the percentiles P2.5th–P97.5th with a probability of 95 % interval. The Shapiro-Wilk’s test was used to determine normality of distribution for each analyte. Inferential statistics for equality of variances using the independent sample Levene’s test was used to determine statistically significant differences between the data from the hunting and breeding falcon groups. After determining the equality of variances, the pooled t test was used to analyse the parametric data while the Welch t test was used to analyse the non-parametric data. The conventional P value of 0.05 was applied, wherein a P value less than 0.05 indicated that significant differences existed between the data from the two groups. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first set of blood gases and critical care blood chemistry and haematology reference values reported specifically for the gyr falcon using the EPOC analyser. © 2016, Springer-Verlag London.