Haematological and biochemical values of farmed red deer Haematological and biochemical values of farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus Cervus elaphus)

The objective of this study was to investigate the haematological and biochemical values of clinical signifi cance for red deer (Cervus elaphus) and provide data for farmed fawns. Blood samples were collected regularly from 34 fawns and compared with 11 adults. The mean blood haemoglobin (Hb), total erythrocyte count (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), total leukocyte count (WBC) and percent of segmented neutrophils were signifi cantly lower in fawns. Red distribution width (RDW), total platelet count (PLT), plateletcryt (PCT) and percent of eosinophils and lymphocytes were signifi cantly higher in fawns. A vast majority of biochemical parameters were signifi cantly lower in fawns: blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CRE), total protein (tPROT), total bilirubine (tBIL) and glucose (GLU) concentration, as a aspartate-aminotransferase (AST) and creatin phosphokinase (CPK) activity, while albumine concentration (ALB), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity showed a signifi cant increase. These results demonstrate the need to use specifi c reference intervals for deer of different ages. The values reported here can be used as a starting point for reference range establishment for clinically healthy young farmed red deer in Croatia.