Characterising Reference Intervals in Clinically Normal Red Wolves ( <i>Canis rufus</i> ): A Baseline for the Detection of Clinical Disease

BACKGROUND: The American red wolf (Canis rufus) is a critically endangered canid that has been extirpated throughout most of its historic range in the United States. To counter the decline of this charismatic species, captive breeding programs were established in the 1970s and 1980s and reservoirs for the red wolf population continue to be managed at zoological institutions around North America. Complicating management, red wolves suffer from a high prevalence of chronic illness in captivity, often contributing to reduced fecundity and survival in breeding programs. OBJECTIVES: Given the above concerns, as well as the lack of a true species-specific baseline to diagnose disease in general, this study sought to establish concise clinical reference intervals for commonly used haematological and biochemical parameters in red wolves. METHODS: Utilising exclusion criteria set by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) and the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP), this study established clinical reference intervals for 35 biochemical and haematological parameters from 31 healthy captive red wolves at the Red Wolf Propagation Facility in Graham, Washington. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The clinical reference intervals developed by this study offer the first set of healthy, species-specific baselines to diagnose disease that may better serve veterinary clinicians in earlier detection of illness and initiation of treatment, which is likely to improve long-term clinical outcomes and disease management in red wolves. CLINICAL STUDY REGISTRATION: This work was performed ad hoc alongside ongoing efforts for wolf management and is not associated with a registered clinical study.