EFFECT OF DIPOTASSIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINETETRAACETIC ACID AND LITHIUM HEPARIN ANTICOAGULANT ON HEMATOLOGIC VALUES IN THE BEARDED DRAGON (POGONA VITTICEPS) IN A CLINICAL SETTING

Anticoagulant choice can have significant effect on complete blood counts of reptiles and has not been reported in bearded dragons (<i>Pogona vitticeps</i>). Whole blood was collected from 14 captive individuals and aliquoted into separate blood tubes containing dipotassium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and lithium heparin. Samples were shipped and processed within 24 h. A CBC, including a WBC count using a commercial phloxine method, was performed on blood from both tubes. A WBC estimate, WBC differential, and morphologic review were performed on blood smears made from the anticoagulated blood, as well as on a direct blood smear made from anticoagulant-free blood. Some CBC values were significantly different between the EDTA and lithium heparin samples. Hematologic data generated from direct blood smears were more similar to data from EDTA samples than to data from lithium heparin samples. Additionally, multiple lithium heparin samples had poor phloxine stain uptake and leukocyte clumping, so that many WBC parameters were altered or unreportable. These results support EDTA as an appropriate anticoagulant for bearded dragon hematologic evaluation and suggest it may be superior to heparin for some individuals in generating a WBC count using a commercial phloxine method.