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Dunbar, M.R.; Cunningham, M.W.; Linda, S.B.
Vitamin A concentrations in serum and liver from Florida panthers
1999  Journal of Wildlife Diseases (35): 171-177

Many of the anomalies and clinical signs afflicting the Florida panther (_Felis concolor coryi_) are suggestive of vitamin A deficiency. Our objectives in this study were to determine if a vitamin A deficiency exists in the free-ranging panther population and to determine if there are differences in vitamin A levels among various subgroups of free-ranging panthers. Retinol concentrations were used as an index to Vitamin A concentrations and were determined in serum and liver from free-ranging (serum, _n _= 45; liver, _n _= 22) and captive (serum, _n _= 9; liver, _n _= 2) juvenile and adult Florida panthers from southern peninsular Florida (USA), and in liver from free-ranging cougars (_F. concolor _subspp.) from Washington (USA) and Texas (USA) between November 1984 and March 1994. Combined juvenile (6- to 24-mo-old) and adult (.24-mo-old) free-ranging Florida panthers had mean +-SD serum retinol concentrations of 772.5 +- 229 pmol/ ml. Adult free-ranging Florida panthers had mean liver retinol concentrations of 4794.5 +- 3747 nmol/g. Free-ranging nursing Florida panther kittens (age ,1 mo) had mean serum retinol concentrations of 397.9 +- 69 pmol/ml. Among subgroups of free-ranging Florida panthers, females had higher corrected mean serum retinol concentrations than males and adult free-ranging Florida panthers had higher mean liver retinol concentrations than juveniles. Retinol concentrations in free-ranging Florida panthers did not differ significantly from those in captive panthers (liver and serum) or other free-ranging cougars (liver). Based on limited published values and our controls, a vitamin A deficiency could not be demonstrated in the Florida panther population nor were any subgroups or individuals considered deficient.

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