Effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the blood profile in the green iguana (Iguana iguana)

A total of 20 healthy green iguanas (14 males and six females with body weight ranging from 280 to 720 g) were divided into three groups and used for the experiment. Carprofen (2.0 mg/kg, i.m.) was administered to seven iguanas for 10 days, five were treated with meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg, i.m.) for the same period, and eight iguanas received the same volume of saline solution (0.04 ml/kg). All iguanas were blood sampled on Day 1 and 11 to obtain haematological and biochemical parameters. Comparing the values within particular groups, a decrease in haemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume accompanied by an increase in azurophils (P < 0.05) was observed in iguanas treated with carprofen. Decreased values of haemoglobin and packed cell volume were also found in control iguanas (P < 0.05). Increased ALT levels (P < 0.01) were found in all three groups of iguanas. A decrease in the concentration of Ca (P < 0.01) was observed both in meloxicam-treated iguanas and in the control ones. Mean ALT values of carprofen-treated iguanas (2.42 ± 0.52 μkat/l) were considerably higher (P < 0.01) than those in iguanas treated with meloxicam (0.49 ± 0.18 μkat/l) or saline (0.43 ± 0.13 μkat/l). Repeated doses of carprofen induced higher levels of AST (0.82 ± 0.26 μkat/l) compared with saline (P < 0.01, 0.31 ± 0.16 μkat/l) or meloxicam (P < 0.05, 0.38 ± 0.16 μkat/l). All blood parameters of green iguanas following the 10-day intramuscular administration of both carprofen and meloxicam were within the physiological reference values of this species.within the physiological reference values of this species.