Effect of Age on the Blood Profiles of the New Zealand Rabbit in Nigeria

The hematological and biochemical parameters of the young (4-8 week old) and adult (52-80 week-old) New Zealand rabbit were determined. The young rabbit had significantly higher plasma concentrations of creatinine (P<0.01), alkaline phosphatase (P<0.05), alanine aminootransaminase (P<0.02) and total protein (P<0.02) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (P<0.001). However, the red blood cell counts, white blood cell counts, haemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and the plasma levels of sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, urea, albumin, albumin/globulin ratio and aspartate aminotranferase were similar in the young and adult rabbit.