Composition of the blood of adult Beagle bitches during the estrous cycle, pregnancy and postpar-tum period

Abstract

The persent study was designed to clarify the composition of the blood of adult Beagle bit-ches during the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and the postpartum period. Ultramicroanalytical procedures were used to determine serum non-protein nitrogen, cholinesterase, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin/globulin ratio, calcium and creatinine values, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and erythrocyte and leukocyte count of pheri-pheral blood.
Alterations observed during the estrous cycle were an increase in cholinesterase and non-protein nitrogen values in the anoestrous stage and an increase in alkaline phosphatase value in the diestrus stage. On the other hand, the serum choesterol value was low in the early stage of anoestrus and the creatinine value also low in the diestrous and anoestrous stages.
The serum cholinesterase value increased gradually from the 10th day of pregnancy to the day of parturition. The albumin/globulin ratio tended to decrease during gestation. A de-crease in erythrocyte count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit value occurred in the late period of pregnancy.
The serum cholinesterase and alkaline phosphatase values increased in the postpartum period, whereas the blood urea nitrogen value decreased in the same period. No other serum components after parturition were significantly different from those during pregnaacy. All the hematological values were lower in the postpartum period than during gestation.