Clinical and laboratory investigations of poor performing anemic Egyptian horses infested with Theileria equi

Anemia causes are numerous, one of which is a widespread tick-borne disease known as “Equine piroplasmosis.” This study aimed to evaluate hematology, biochemical constituents, acid-base balance, and blood gases in poor-performing anemic working horses. Thirty Egyptian Balady horses divided into two groups (15 healthy horses as a control group and 15 poor-performing anemic working horses). Blood samples were taken from each animal and divided into three portions, the first portion collected on EDTA tubes for hematology examination, the second portion collected on Heparin and sent immediately for blood gases and acid-base estimation, and the last portion collected on plain tubes for serum separation. Giemsa-stained blood films were examined for Theileria equi infestation. Significant decreases in RBCs, Hb, PCV, monocytes pH, PCO₂, HCO₃⁻, Na, Cl, total protein (p ≤ 0.01), lymphocytes, and base excess (BE) (p ≤ 0.001) while significant increases in leucocytes, MCHC, anion gap (p ≤ 0.05), BUN (p ≤ 0.01), neutrophils, GGT, AST, lactate, and cortisol (p ≤ 0.001) levels were recorded in T. equi-infested horses. Poor-performing horses infested with T. equi are suffering from anemia and metabolic acidosis; which should be put into consideration during treatment of such cases.