Comparison of Three Different Techniques to Produce Blood Smears from Green Iguanas, Iguana iguana

ABSTRACT Three different blood smear techniques were assessed in a group of 11 green iguanas, Iguana iguana, for monolayer quality and smudge cell counts. Each blood sample was used to perform blood smears using the coverslip-to-slide technique, the bevel-edge slide technique, and the slide-to-slide technique. The resultant blood smears were divided into 3 sections: initial, central, and distal. Each section was given a subjective monolayer score (0–3) and the number of smudge cells in 20 fields (×1000) of each section was recorded. Monolayer quality and smudge cell counts were optimized for the central section of the blood smears created with the coverslip-to-slide technique and the central section of the blood smears created with the bevel-edge slide technique.