Hematology and clinical chemistry values in the killer whale, Orcinus orca L.

Clinical hematology and blood chemistry values are reported for the killer whale. These represent a panel of 13 hematological and 21 serum chemistry measurements determined on killer whales maintained for display at Sea World facilities. The values have been collected over a 10-yr period from 14 active, clinically normal individuals, six males and eight females. The cumulative normal values for each of these animals fall into well-defined clusters from which central tendencies and the range of values can be established. No significant male-female differences were observed for any measurement. There were consistent differences among the killer whales in hemoglobin, hematocrit and red blood cell count. A decrease in total white blood cell counts was associated with age and/or changes in parasite loads. Younger animals exhibited higher glucose levels and lower total protein levels. Serum urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine were elevated in older and larger males. Lactic dehydrogenase activity was lower in all animals of Pacific origin, as compared to animals from the Atlantic, regardless of age or sex. These "normal" differences emphasize the importance of establishing an animal's individual hematologic and blood chemistry profile by routine sampling.