ABSTRACT

Blood samples were collected from five clinically normal adult green iguanas, Iguana iguana, and five clinically normal adult red-tailed boa constrictors, Boa constrictor, on three separate occasions to compare the biochemical values o f paired samples of plasma from heparinized blood with serum from clotted blood. Statistically significant differences (P <0.05) were found in the biochemical values of paired plasma and serum samples in this study. Plasma samples yielded higher mean values for total protein, albumin, globulin, A/G ratio and AST than the corresponding serum samples in green iguanas, and higher mean values for sodium, total protein, cholesterol and calculated osmolality values than the corresponding serum samples in red-tailed boa constrictors. Serum samples yielded higher mean values for ALT than the corresponding plasma samples in green iguanas, and higher mean values for potassium and CK than the corresponding plasma samples in red-tailed boa constrictors. However, most of these differences were very small and considered to be of little clinical importance. This study suggests that except for CK, the biochemical values obtained from plasma provide reasonable approximations of serum biochemical values for clinical interpretation. Plasma samples have the advantage of minimal loss in sample volume when separated from heparinized blood as compared to serum separated from clotted blood, and permits collection of smaller heparinized blood sample volumes from small or ill animals to obtain both a hemogram and a biochemical profile.