Hematological Parameters of Geese Used in Biomedical Research

ABSTRACT Domestic geese are birds of zootechnical interest commonly created for ornamentation and guard in farms but are also useful for biomedical research, once they supply blood as a byproduct for laboratory analysis. The study aimed to contribute to the completion of health data available on these animals to trace a hematological profile of domestic geese that supply blood for research and provide data on the influence of periodic collections to the health of these animals. Ten Chinese geese (Anser domesticus), white and males, were kept in a research center installation. Four blood samples were performed weekly after the 1st collection, the sample with greater volume was sent to the laboratories of the Evandro Chagas Institute to be used in the arbovirus tests. The hematological evaluations observed values of packed cell volume (PCV), total number of erythrocytes (Hm), total number of leukocytes (Lc) and differential leukocyte count and the number of thrombocytes (Tb). All the animals were weighed and correlation of volume of blood collected from the animal’s weight was performed. No differences were found among the means obtained in the hematological values of the 1st collection and the subsequent collections demonstrating that the periodic collection in geese, when performed in obedience to the correlation between animal’s weight and blood volume, does not cause significant alterations in the animal’s hematological profile. The results of the hematological profile obtained in this study will add to the biological data of species available allowing a better health assessment of these animals in the creation of environments and in animal research facilities.