Blood Parameters in the Domestic Reindeer From the Yamalo-nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia

Abstract

Abstract The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) has a great ecological and economic importance for northern regions. The domestic reindeer population in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is the largest one in the Russian Federation. Due to the lack of published actual data on blood parameters and well-established their reference ranges for Russian reindeer populations, hematology and biochemistry of blood serum of 97 reindeer was studied in August of 2019. Domestic reindeer were grouped into seven groups according to sex and age at the grazing site in the tundra zone of the Priuralsky district, Russia. Animals were tested for tuberculosis and brucellosis and no positively reacting animals were recorded indicating the well-being of the herd at the time of the study. We observed no differences between males and females or between young and adult reindeer for most parameters. The sodium content in the serum was below 110 mmol/L in 29 (about 30%) animals out of 97 while the mean values of this parameter (namely from 127.8 ± 3.9 to 133.8 ± 2.2 mmol/L) for remaining 70% of animals were less compared to the published data. Also, we noted the low protein level (from 4.97 ± 0.62 to 6.44 ± 0.63 g/dL on average) and the increased phosphorus level (from 5.22±0.39 to 7.93±0.62 g/dL on average) the reindeer blood serum compared to the published data. The represented data might be useful to establish baseline hematologic and serum biochemical reference ranges for domestic reindeer in northern regions.