title: Vitamin A status of wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) wintering in Saskatchewan.
abstract: Vitamin A status of wild male mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) overwintering in Saskatchewan, Canada was determined. Vitamin A levels < 0.2 micrograms hepatic retinyl palmitate/g liver, occurred in 6% and 25% of male mallards sampled in 1991 to 1992 and 1992 to 1993, respectively. There was no temporal trend in vitamin A levels over either winter. Squamous metaplastic lesions, commonly associated with vitamin A deficiency in domestic animals, were not observed in any bird; hence, they were not a good indicator of vitamin A status in wild mallards. Serum retinol was not a good indicator of vitamin A status in wild mallards. Many mallards in good body condition had low vitamin A levels; thus, we propose that good body condition and ample fat stores are not indicative of overall health of the bird.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honour
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trudeau
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wobeser
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001824:Body Constitution; D004224:Diterpenes; D004372:Ducks; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D012525:Saskatchewan; D012621:Seasons; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D004224:Diterpenes; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A; C014794:retinol palmitate