About the icteric index and the fasting bilirubinaemia in equines

Abstract

The A. A. is trying to establish the normal icteric index for equines; they show the results of the tests, by Lamounier’s method; in 20 thoroughbred race horses, which aren’t running, with a well balanced diet and considered clinically normal by periodic veterinary assistence, they found the limits of normality (using M ± 2) for icteric index, in these animals, amount from 0.5 to 8 Units; these limits may be admitable as normal until a statistic analise of a greater number of observations well give us definit values. Proceding the determination of icteric index from 26 thoroughbred race horses (which were working on races), the A.A. were surprised in verifying the greater values, the difference between the average of the two being groups excluding fluctuation samples. These animals got a very small ration of green food value. In relation to this fact with the so called bilirubinaemia of the fasting they studied this phenomeno in a group of 4 animals, with determination of icteric index every 2 hours, during 4 ininterrupted hours, they found an increase in icteric index in relation with the fasting time, they show in a grafic the regretion equation for each animals and for the average of the groups. They suggested the possibility of the high level of icteric index in thoroughbred race horses probably corresponds to a qualifying fasting hiperbilirubinaemia. They can’t, show at the moment the missing of component or components of the normal diet which is responsible for this phenomeno in that race horses.