Reference Intervals for Haematological and Morphometric Parameters in Balkan Donkey in Serbia

Abstract

The Balkan donkey is an indigenous primitive breed that is bred in the hilly and mountainous regions of Serbia and Montenegro. It represents an important resource in terms of preserving the genotype of our country. Today, the majority of donkey population in Serbia is situated in Special Nature Reserve “Zasavica”, Nature park of “Stara Planina and Kovilj vilage, near Novi sad. They are mainly used for the production of donkey milk and as a tourist attraction on farms. There are no many literature data  related to of the values of basic hematological and morphometric parameters in donkeys. This led to the development of a this study, especially on donkeys from Stara Planina, whose end result were the definition of basic physiological values of triassic parameters, hematological and biochemical values of blood parameters and precise morphometric measurements. Knowing the values of these parameters is of great importance for veterinarians for the correct interpretation of clinical findings and diagnosis of diseases in donkeys