Influence of Diet on Hematological Characteristics in Bottlenose Dolphins

Abstract

We studied in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, how blood values changed before and after feeding with 3 hematological and 18 serum chemistry tests. Clinical data:A total of 286 blood samples were clinically examined from two male and four female adult dolphins from 1990-1997;187 samples were taken between 09:00-10:00 before feeding, and 99 samples were taken between 13:00-14:00 after they had been fed 5.0-10.0 kg of mackerel. Experimental data:Blood samples from two female dolphins were taken at 09:00 before feeding and at 13:00 after they had been fed on 8.0 kg mackerel on five separate times. On five other times, blood samples from the same dolphins were also taken at 09:00 and 13:00 before they had been fed any fish. In both data, it is concluded that TG and BUN will increase, and Cl decrease due to dietary factors. Experimental data, however, suggests that FFA and T-Bil will increase when an animal has not eaten.