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Ý ß Biochem9- Normal Biochemistry Values for Ursus americanus - American black bear

Reference Values

(Please note that the references are given in the units in the original publication and that "SD" represents "Standard Deviation" Reference ranges are only as good as the data entered, and as consistent as the laboratory standards allow.  Users should use their professional judgement in viewing these values

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Parameter

Units

 Ref 1.
Mean +/- SD		 Ref 1.
Range		 Ref 2a.
Mean +/- SE		 Ref 2b.
Mean +/- SE		 Ref 2c.
Mean +/- SE		 Ref 2d.
Mean +/- SE		 Ref 2e.
Mean 		 Ref 2f.
Mean 		 Ref 2g.
Mean		 Ref 3a.
Mean (Range)		 Ref 3b.
Mean (Range)		 Ref 3c.
Mean (Range)		 Ref 3d.
Mean (Range)		 Ref 4.
Mean +/- SD		 Ref 5a.
Single		 Ref 5b.
Mean +/- SD		 Ref 5b.
Range

Units

 Parameter
Total Protein g/dl (g%) 7.6 +/- 0.6 5.9 - 9.1 5.3 +/- 0.2 4.6 +/- 0.3 7.0 +/- 0.1 6.7 +/- 0.1 7.2  7.5 9.1 5.2 (4.8 - 5.5) 7.0 (5.7 - 8.5) 5.5 (5.1 - 6.1) 6.3 (5.9 - 6.6) 7.2 +/- 0.6 9.0 7.2 +/- 1.0 6.2 - 8.6 g/dl (g%) Total Protein
g/L 4.1 +/- 0.5 3.0 - 5.2                               g/L
Albumin g/dl (g%) 3.4 +/- 0.6 2.1 - 5.1 2.7 +/- 0.1 2.3 +/- 0.2 4.1 +/- 0.1 4.0 +/- 0.1 3.6 4.3 5.0 3.4 (2.4 - 3.7) 4.7 (4.3 - 5.0) 4.5 (4.3 - 4.7) 5.0 (4.3 - 5.5)   5.3 3.8 +/- 0.2 3.7 - 4.1 g/dl (g%) Albumin
g/L                                   g/L
Globulin g/dl (g%)     2.7 +/- 0.2 2.3 +/- 0.2 2.9 +/- 0.1 2.7 +/- 0.1 3.6 3.2 4.0 1.8 (0.4 - 2.6) 3.0 (2.4 - 3.5) 1.1 (0.7 - 1.7) 1.3 (0.6 - 2.3)         g/dl (g%) Globulin
g/L                                   g/L
Albumin/
Globulin		       1.0 +/- 0.1 1.0 =/- 0.1 1.4 +/- 0.1 1.5 +/- 0.0 1.0 1.3 1.2                   Albumin/
Globulin
Calcium mg/dl (mg%) 9.3 +/- 0.6 7.9 - 11.4 10.3 +/- 0.1 10.2 +/- 0.1 9.8 +/- 0.1 9.5 +/- 0.3 8.3 9.0 10.3         9.6 +/- 0.4 10.5 9.2 +/- 0.3 8.9 - 9.6 mg/dl (mg%) Calcium
mmol/l                                   mmol/l
Magnesium mg/dl                                   mg/dl Magnesium
mmol/L                                   mmol/L
Phosphorus mg/dl (mg%) 5.6 +/- 1.0 2.5 - 9.0 7.7 +/- 0.2 8.3 +/- 0.4 3.4 +/- 0.2 4.5 +/- 0.6 4.6 3.2 4.3 5.4 (4.0 - 6.7) 1.9 (single value) 5.4 (4.8 - 6.4 8.3 (7.9 - 8.3) 6.7 +/- 1.7 5.3 6.9 +/- 0.7 5.9 - 7.5 mg/dl (mg%) Phosphorus
mmol/l                                   mmol/l
Sodium mEq/L or  mmol/L 139 +/- 4 129 - 148 136.5 +/- 1.2 138.0 +/- 0.9 136.6 +/- 0.6 135.3 +/- 2.7 138.8 135.5 149.3         136.6 +/- 5.6 152 147 +/- 6 141 - 156 mEq/L or mmol/L Sodium
µg/ml                                   µg/ml
Potassium mEq/L or mmol/L 4.6 +/- 0.4 3.6 - 5.8 5.5 +/- 0.1 5.4 +/- 0.1 4.3 +/- 0.1 4.3 +/- 0.1 3.9 4.1 3.9         4.2 +/- 0.3 4.1 5.2 +/- 0.3 5.0 - 5.6 mEq/L or mmol/l Potassium
µg/ml                                   µg/ml
Chloride

 

 mEq/L or mmol/l 104 +/- 5 89 - 121 101.8 +/- 0.6 102.4 +/- 0.4 98.1 +/- 0.7 98.0 +/- 5.6 97.9 98.9 106.7 391 (320 - 450) mg/dl 370 (330 - 410) mg/dl 410 (340 - 500) mg/dl 395 (300 - 660) mg/dl 102.8 +/- 2.8 104 118 +/- 1 117 - 120 mEq/L or mmol/l Chloride

 
mgm%                                   mgm%
Creatinine mg/dl (mg%) 2.0 +/- 0.6 0.6 - 3.4 0.7 +/- 0.0 0.6 +/- 0.1 2.6 +/- 0.1 2.4 +/- 0.4 2.8 3.2 3.1           2.0 0.9 +/- 0.2 0.7 - 1.2 mg/dl (mg%) Creatinine
μmol/l                                   mmol/l
Urea nitrogen (BUN) mg/dl (mg%) 20 +/- 13 6 - 96 9.5 +/- 1.0 6.4 +/- 0.4 6.7 +/- 0.8 5.0 +/- 1.2 9.6 5.7 18.0         24.6 +/- 9.1 2.0 18.0 +/- 2.8 14.0 - 20.0 mg/dl (mg%) BUN (Urea nitrogen)
mmol/l                                   mmol/l
Uric acid mg/dl (mg%)     1.8 +/- 0.1 1.9 +/- 0.1 1.5 +/- 0.2 2.1 +/- 0.4 1.1 1.5 0.8         1.5 +/- 0.4 2.6 1.8 +/- 0.5 1.4 - 2.5 mg/dl (mg%) Uric acid
mmol/l                                   mmol/l
Cholesterol mg/dl (mg%)     350.7 +/- 25.8 319.6 +/- 18.9 391.5 +/- 36.8 512.5 +/- 101.2 350.4 460.8 400.2         271 +/- 69 385 268 +/- 92 198 - 399 mg/dl (mg%) Cholesterol
mmol/l                                   mmol/l
Glucose mg/dl (mg%)     107.2 +/- 11.0 80.3 +/- 12.1 112.2 +/- 27.3 156.0 +/- 65.4 96.1 146.8 144.5 44 (43 - 49) 42.7 (26 - 56) 50 (42 - 60) 49 (42 - 54) 103 +/- 51 160 108 +/- 10 98 - 118 mg/dl (mg%) Glucose
mmol/l                                   mmol/l
Iron μg/dl     271.4 +/- 36.2 374.1 +/- 30.9 135.0 +/- 9.0 129.0 +/- 12.2 201.9 151.2 223.5                 μg/dl Iron
AST (SGOT) iu/l 98 +/- 51 20 - 309  +/- 5.185.5 107.0 +/- 10.3 62.9 +/- 8.4 54.3 +/- 8.1 91.4 78.3 28.2         98 +/- 14 175 452 +/- 152 345 - 560 iu/l AST (SGOT)
ALT (SGPT) iu/l 52 +/- 34 11 - 248 30.4 +/- 1.3 34.0 +/- 3.2 31.0 +/- 7.5 18.8 +/- 6.5 28.1 22.3 27.3                 iu/l ALT (SGPT)
LDH iu/l     560.0 +/- 36.4 514.5 +/- 34.0 545.5 +/- 65.6 477.8 +/- 56.9 345.5 417.2 470.2         447 +/- 252 1450 1142 +/- 583 560 - 1725 iu/l LDH
CPK (CK) iu/L                                   iu/L CPK (CK)
Amylase SU                                   SU Amylase
iu/l                                   iu/l
Alkaline phosphatase iu/l 29 +/- 19 4 - 107 193.9 +/- 15.3 188.4 +/- 17.4 47.5 +/- 4.8 54.0 +/- 14.2 18.8 20.0 17.8         22 +/- 10 35 29 +/- 9 21 - 42 iu/l Alkaline phosphatase
GGT (GGTP) iu/l     16.6 +/- 2.2 12.7 +/- 1.6 11.3 +/- 0.8 13.5 +/- 2.9 17.3 16.8 31.5                 iu/l GGT
Lipase iu/l                                   iu/l Lipase
Total bilirubin  mg/dl (mg%) 0.2 +/- 0.2 0.0 - 0.9 0.3 +/- 0.0 0.8 +/- 0.3 0.1 +/- 0.0 0.3 +/- 0.1 0.3 0.1 0.1         0.5 +/- 0.3 0.3     mg/dl (mg%) Total bilirubin
μmol/l                                   μmol/l
Direct bilirubin mg/dl 0.0 +/- 0.1 0.0 - 0.2                               mg/dl Direct bilirubin
μmol/l                                   μmol/l
Indirect bilirubin mg/dl 0.2 +/- 0.2 0 - 0.9                               mg/dl Indirect bilirubin
μmol/l                                   μmol/l
Triglycerides mg/dl     352.9 +/- 33.5 306.1 +/- 24.8 463 +/- 96.1 471.0 +/- 103.5 382.2 317.8 349.2                 mg/dl Triglycerides
Bicarbonate mEq/dl                                   mEq/dl Bicarbonate
mmol/l                                   mmol/l 
Carbon dioxide mEq/dl                                   mEq/dl Carbon dioxide
mmol/l                                   mmol/l

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Reference 1.
Wildpro Data Source B336.51.w51
Ref Title Ursidae and Hyenidae. In: Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine Fifth Edition
Ref Author(s) Ramsay, E.C.
Animal Details --
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments Data from ISIS, October 1999

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Reference 2.

Wildpro Data Source J1.24.w10
Ref Title Blood chemistry of black bears from Pennsylvania during winter dormancy
Ref Author(s) Storm, G.L., Alt, G.L., Matula, G.J. & Nelson, R.A.
Animal Details Bears from north-eastern Pennsylvania, sampled during winter hibernation.

a) Female cubs-of-the-year

b) Male cubs-of-the-year

c) Female yearlings

d) Male yearlings

e) Females with cubs-of-the-year (in the wild)

f) Females with yearlings (in the wild)

g) Females with cubs-of-the-year (held in wooden holding cages within an unheated barn in Pennsylvania)
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments
  • Variations in serum chemistry were mainly due to age, with only three values differing between males and females in cubs, and none in yearlings. Cubs had lower (P < 0.05) total protein, albumin and creatinine levels than yearlings or adults, and higher (P< 0.5) chloride, alkaline phosphatase, potassium, inorganic phosphorus and urea nitrogen: creatinine ratio. Cubs had higher blood calcium levels than older bears, witha significant (P <0.05) difference between levels in cubs and in adults. (J1.24.w10)
  • Samples from older cubs (late April to December) had lower (P < 0.05) calcium, phosphorus, potassium, chloride, cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase than samples from young cubs. Young cubs had markedly lower sodium, glucose, urea nitrogen, total protein, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, LDH and SGOT than older cubs. Mean cholesterol levels were markedly (P < 0.05) higher in cubs and yearlings during hibernation (319 - 512.5 mg/dl) than in samples from cubs and yearlings (means 246.5 and 294.5 mg/dl respectively) at other times of the year. (J1.24.w10)
  • Three of four females exposed to unseasonably warm winter temperatures while in captivity showed decreases in blood glucose (120 - 227 decreased to 3.0 -18 mg/dl) during this time, and increased BUN (1 - 14 mg/dl before, 12 - 71 mg/dl after), and SGOT, SGPT increased. High levels of sodium and total protein in all four captive bears may have indicated dehydration during this period, creatinine increased abnormally, and urea/creatinine increased in two of the four bears. (J1.24.w10)

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Reference 3.
Wildpro Data Source J332.42.w2
Ref Title Seasonal variations in the hematology and physiology of black bears
Ref Author(s) Erickson, A. W. & Youatt, W.G.
Animal Details Four wild-caught bears (one adult male, two subadult females and one male cub), held at an experimental station in Michigan, in individual pens provided with dens and straw bedding. The bears hibernated 25th December to 17th April (except that one denned 26th November, and one emerged 1st April). (J332.42.w2)

a) November

b) February

c) April

d) July

Laboratory Techniques --
Comments Early during hibernation, an increase was noted in total protein; serum phosphorus appeared to decrease during hibernation. (J332.42.w2)

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Reference 4.
Wildpro Data Source J1.19.w14
Ref Title Use of dissociative anesthetics for the immobilization of captive bears: blood gas, hematology and biochemistry values
Ref Author(s) Bush, M., Custer, R.S. & Smith, E.E.
Animal Details Five samples, from two male and one female black bears at the National Zoo, Washington, D.C., USA.
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments --

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Reference 5.
Wildpro Data Source J30.50.w2
Ref Title Blood chemistry of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) from southwestern Yukon Territory, Canada
Ref Author(s) Halloran, D.W. & Pearson, A.M.
Animal Details Four samples, from three male and one female wild black bears, ages three to eight years, from southwestern Yukon Territory, Canada. 

a) One male, sampled in spring (early May).

b) Three bears in summer (mid-June to mid-July).
Laboratory Techniques --
Comments The male sampled in spring had higher creatinine and uric acid, and lower BUN, than the three bears sampled in summer. (J30.50.w2)

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Other Major Databases with Reference Values
Some database systems generate normal values on an on-going basis, and some organisations publish information within animal management guidelines. As the normal values do vary as more information is added, the links to these databases are provided, rather than incorporating the actual data.

Some of these databases do charge for access, or may have restricted access and enquiries should be made directly to the database providers.

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