Haematological and blood biochemical characteristics of Dutch warmblood foals managed under three different rearing conditions from birth to 5 months of age.

This research looks into the haematological and blood biochemical characteristics of Dutch Warmblood foals from birth to five months of age, comparing how three different rearing conditions affect these variables. The findings indicate that the foal’s age significantly influences these factors, and specific age-related reference values are necessary for foals of this particular breed.

Study Details

• The study involved Dutch Warmblood foals split into three groups based on their rearing conditions. One group consisted of 14 foals kept in boxrest with no exercise, the second group also had 14 foals kept in similar boxes but received daily exercise, and the final group had 15 foals raised in a pasture with free exercise.
• The researchers took blood samples from the foals every month and measured 36 haematological and biochemical variables. The data was statistically analyzed to determine the influence of age and the rearing conditions on these variables.

Findings

• Significant effects of age were found on all variables except for certain forms of leucocytes (white blood cells), platelets, and levels of several elements and substances, including sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, creatinine, and creatine phosphokinase.
• The rearing conditions had a notable influence on factors like hemoglobin, packed cell volume, pH, base excess, bicarbonate, chloride, urea, and alkaline phosphatase values.
• Most differences detected due to age are attributable to growth and specific processes of differentiation that occur in young animals.
• Rearing-related differences can be partly linked to a higher metabolism and more mature tissues in foals that had free access to exercise in a pasture. Some of these distinctions, however, were minor and likely not clinically significant.

Conclusion

• The conclusions drawn from the research state that the age of Dutch Warmblood foals largely influences their haematological and blood biochemical variables. As such, for a better understanding of these aspects in foals of this breed, it is recommended to use specific age-related reference values.