Haematological characteristics of morbid southern brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus)

Abstract

Haematological assessment often forms an important part of the diagnosis of disease in wildlife, as animals may not exhibit clinical signs until late in the disease process to avoid appearing vulnerable to predators. This study investigated the haematological changes occurring in southern brown bandicoots suffering from injury and illness that were caught from the wild or presented to a Perth wildlife rehabilitation centre. The blood was assessed by microscopy, manual techniques (packed cell volume, total solids and fibrinogen) and using an automated haematology analyser. Most (6/8) animals had evidence of an inflammatory response, in the form of an increased concentration of leukocytes. However, a few (2/8) animals had an increased concentration of fibrinogen, indicating that this is an inconsistent marker of inflammation in bandicoots. Anaemia was present in 2/8 animals and these both had a regenerative response evident. This study establishes that southern brown bandicoots are capable of mounting a neutrophilia in response to inflammation and exhibit a regenerative response to anaemia that releases polychromatophilic cells into the peripheral blood