Anesthesia can affect measured thyroxine (total T4) concentrations in humans and animals, but its effect in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) has not yet been studied. We used isoflurane to anesthetize 12 prairie dogs for 60 min. Blood samples were obtained from each animal immediately after anesthesia induction and at 30 and 60 min and used for analysis of plasma T4 concentration. The plasma T4 concentration (mean ± 1 SD) was significantly decreased from baseline (3.49 ± 0.52 μg/dL) at both 30 min (3.24 ± 0.52 μg/dL) and 60 min (3.27 ± 0.65 μg/dL) after induction. Compared with baseline, some of the T4 trends were inconsistent between animals, and individual variability in response was responsible for 86% of the overall variability. Regardless of the observed change under isoflurane anesthesia, all measurements in all prairie dogs and at all time points (2.4 to 4.4 μg/dL) were within the reported normal plasma T4 reference range for this species. In conclusion, isoflurane anesthesia appears to cause a significant but inconsistent reduction in plasma T4 concentrations in black-tailed prairie dogs, but because values remain within normal basal levels, the clinical importance of this effect is likely minimal.

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are kept in zoological collections, maintained as companion pets, and aretested in field and laboratory settings. Biochemical analysis for routine health and research purposes can be performed byusing point-of-care (POC) testing; however, analyzer- and species-specific reference intervals need to be determined. In this prospective study, 50 captive-raised sexually intact prairie dogs (16 females, 34 males) underwent plasma biochemical analysisby using a veterinary POC biochemical analyzer. We used a manufacturer-predetermined profile of 14 analytes: albumin, ALP,ALT, amylase, BUN, calcium, creatinine, glucose, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, total bilirubin, total protein and globulin.A subset of 17 samples was tested concurrently for the same 14 analytes by using a reference laboratory analyzer, and wedetermined RI for the POC analyzer for these 14 biochemical analytes. Sex had a significant effect on albumin and creatininevalues, which were higher in females than males, and on ALT, which was lower in females. In addition, age had an effect on9 plasma analytes: juvenile animals had higher plasma concentrations of albumin, ALP, ALT, BUN, and glucose than adultanimals, whereas adults had higher concentrations of creatinine, sodium, total protein, and globulins. Only calcium and BUNhad acceptable analytical agreement between the POC and reference analyzers. The reference intervals determined in this study can aid clinicians and researchers performing POC plasma biochemical analysis in prairie dogs, providing that they consider potential analyzer-, sex-, and age-related effects.

Dyslipidemias and lipid-accumulation disorders are common in captive parrots, in particular in Quaker parrots. Currently available diagnostic tests only measure a fraction of blood lipids and have overall problematic cross-species applicability. Comprehensively analyzing lipids in the plasma of parrots is the first step to better understand their lipid metabolism in health and disease, as well as to explore new lipid biomarkers. The plasma lipidome of 12 Quaker parrots was investigated using UHPLC-MS/MS with both targeted and untargeted methods. Targeted methods on 6 replicates measured 432 lipids comprised of sterol, cholesterol ester, bile acid, fatty acid, acylcarnitine, glycerolipid, glycerophospholipid, and sphingolipid panels. For untargeted lipidomics, precursor ion mass-to-charge ratios were matched to corresponding lipids using the LIPIDMAPS structure database and LipidBlast at the sum composition or acyl species level of information. Sterol lipids and glycerophospholipids constituted the majority of plasma lipids on a molar basis. The most common lipids detected with the targeted methods included free cholesterol, CE(18:2), CE(20:4) for sterol lipids; PC(36:2), PC(34:2), PC(34:1) for glycerophospholipids; TG(52:3), TG(54:4), TG(54:5), TG(52:2) for glycerolipids; SM(d18:1/16:0) for sphingolipids; and palmitic acid for fatty acyls. Over a thousand different lipid species were detected by untargeted lipidomics. Sex differences in the plasma lipidome were observed using heatmaps, principal component analysis, and discriminant analysis. This report presents the first comprehensive database of plasma lipid species in psittacine birds and paves the way for further research into blood lipid diagnostics and the impact of diet, diseases, and drugs on the parrot plasma lipidome.