Hematology and clinical chemistry values of normal and euthymic hairless adult male Dunkin-Hartley guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus)

Hematology and serum chemistry measurements were performed on blood specimens from 12 male Dunkin-Hartley hairless guinea pigs Crl:IAF(HA)BR and 10 haired Dunkin-Hartley male guinea pigs Crl:(HA)BR. Significantly higher activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, amylase, and creatine kinase were observed in the hairless guinea pigs as compared to the haired strain. Alkaline phosphatase activity was found to be lower in the hairless guinea pig. The hairless guinea pigs were found to have serum urea concentrations approximately 46% higher than the normal guinea pig strain. The erythrocytic mean cell volume of the hairless strain was found to be smaller, with a greater hemoglobin content. Hairless guinea pigs were found to have approximately 40% fewer leukocytes with a reversed lymphocyte:neutrophil ratio compared to the haired guinea pigs which had much higher lymphocyte counts.