Exotic Animal Formulary5

Bile acids
(µmol/L)
Lipemia; sample
hemolysis, such
samples should
not be analyzed
Loss of liver function,
even with normal
enzymes
Lipemic samples
that are
chemically
treated
Response to therapy
cirrhosis;
microhepatica
Calcium (mg/dL)
Lipemia (or cloudy
from other
causes); protein
elevations;
bacterial
contamination
Hormonal disorders; egg
production; metabolic
disease; excess dietary
vitamin D;
dehydration;
osteolytic neoplasia
EDTA; bacterial
contamination;
young birds
have lower
levels
<8; metabolic and
nutritional disor
lead poisoning;
glucocorticoid
administration;
albumin; African
parrot hypocalce
Cholesterol
(mg/dL)
Postprandial; 530
high fat diet;
carnivorous diet
Metabolic disease;
hepatic lipidosis; bile
duct obstruction;
hypothyroidism;
starvation
— Liver, metabolic dis
CK (U/L)
>300; healthy birds
up to 1000
600-25,000; muscle or
heart damage; CNS
disease (seizures);
vitamin E/selenium
deficiency;
chlamydiosis; lead
toxicity; IM injections
<10; bacterial
contamination
Rare
Creatinine
(mg/dL)
— Not useful in birds — Not useful in birds
Glucose (mg/dL)
Improper dilution;
postprandial;
posthandling
Stress, 400-600; diabetes,
800-1500;
corticosteroids
<100; unseparated
blood; bacterial
contamination
<100; hepatic dysfun
septicemia; neop
aspergillosis
LDH (U/L) Sample hemolysis 300-15,000; liver, heart,
or muscle damage;
hepatitis; muscle
damage
<50 End-stage liver dise
Lipase (U/L) — Acute pancreatitis — —
Phosphorus
(mg/dL)
Postprandial;
sample
hemolysis
Severe renal disease;
nutritional secondary
hyperparathyroidism;
hypoparathyroidism
EDTA
Hypovitaminosis D
malabsorption; c
glucocorticoid th
Potassium
(mEq/L)
Hemolysis; dietary
supplementation
Adrenal disease;
metabolic disease;
severe tissue damage;
renal disease;
acidosis; dehydration;
hemolytic anemia
— Adrenal disease; me
disease; diuretic
therapy; alkalos
overhydration; d
deficiency
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