title: Blood acid-base and plasma electrolyte values in healthy ostriches: the effect of age and sex.
abstract: The effect of age and sex on blood acid-base and plasma electrolyte values was determined in venous blood samples from 45 clinically healthy ostriches (Struthio camelus) from 26 days to 6 years of age. Animals were divided by age into four groups and the group of adults was divided by sex into two subgroups. Blood samples were collected without sedation. There was a significant (P<0.05) age difference in blood values of base excess (BE), plasma HCO(3)(-), total CO(2) (TCO(2)), Na(+), K(+), Cl(-) and anion gap (AG). The highest plasma concentrations of Na(+), Cl(-) and value of AG were found in adult ostriches with a steady decrease to chicks. A significant (P<0.05) sex difference in adult animals with higher blood pH, lower blood values of pCO(2), BE, plasma concentrations of HCO(3)(-), TCO(2) and K(+) was found in females. We concluded that blood acid-base values and plasma electrolyte concentrations in ostriches are affected by age and sex.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patología, Sección de Patología Clínica, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Universidad 3000, Col. Copilco, México, D.F. 04510, Mexico. bouda@servidor.unam.mx
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bouda
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Núñez-Ochoa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Avila-González
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doubek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fuente-Martínez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Bobadilla
mesh_terms: D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium / Q000502:physiology*; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D020310:Struthioniformes / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes