Abstract

To determine the haematological and serum biochemical parameters of young grasscutters, ten young reared African grassscutters (Thyronomys swinderianus-a wild rodent) were used. Results obtained indicates that the mean values of packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (HB) and total white blood cell count (WBC) were 38.5 ± 5.1%, 12.8 ± 1.7g/dL and 10.4 ± 2.8 x 10⁹/L, respectively. Differential leukocyte count revealed values to be 59.5 ± 5.9, 38.8 ± 1.9, 1.4 ± 0.8, 1.2 ± 0.6, 0 and 0.1 ± 0.3% for neutrophil (NEU), lymphocyte (LYM), monocyte (MON), eosinophil (EOS), basophil (BAS) and band neutrophil (BAN), respectively. The study also revealed the values for serum biochemical parameters to be 2.53 ± 0.5mmol/L, 4.2 ± 0.8mmol/L, 21.4 ± 2.9 mg/dl, 1.3 ± 0.3 mg/dl, 134.1 ± 7.13 mmol/L, 4.1 ± 0.5 mmol/L and 97.4 ± 8.2 mmol/L for triglyceride, cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, sodium, potassium and chloride, respectively. These results indicated that both haematological and serum biochemical parameters in young reared grasscutter are comparable with those of reared captive and wild animals of this species, thus suggesting that age is not a factor in consideration and interpretation of haematological and many serum biochemical values in grasscutters found, at least, in northern Nigeria

Key words: Grasscutter, haematological, plasma biochemical, young reared.