Haematological Parameters of Apparently Healthy Cattle in Sokoto State: A Baseline Study

Establishing baseline haematological parameters for livestock is fundamental to diagnosing disease and assessing physiological status in veterinary practice. Despite the economic importance of cattle in Sokoto State, located in Nigeria's North West geopolitical zone, reference intervals for blood indices in the local Bunaji and Gudali breeds remain poorly defined. This study aimed to determine the erythrocyte count, packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentration, white blood cell count, and differential leucocyte count of clinically healthy cattle in the Sokoto Central Abattoir. A total of 80 apparently healthy adult cattle (40 males and 40 females) were selected randomly over a twelve-week period. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein into EDTA-anticoagulated tubes and analysed within two hours of collection using a calibrated automated haematology analyser. Results indicated that mean packed cell volume was 28.6 percent, haemoglobin was 9.4 g/dL, and total white blood cell count was 8.2 x 10 to the ninth power per litre. Significant sex-based differences were recorded for haemoglobin and red blood cell count, with males recording higher values than females. Age also showed a positive correlation with PCV. These findings provide breed-specific reference data relevant to veterinary practitioners in Sokoto and surrounding states. Establishing local reference values reduces misdiagnosis arising from the application of foreign-derived reference intervals to Nigerian livestock populations. Keywords: haematology, cattle, Sokoto, reference values, packed cell volume.