BONE-MARROW EXAMINATION IN THE KOALA (PHASCOLARCTOS-CINEREUS)

A technique for bone marrow aspiration from the iliac crest in the koa la (Phascolarctos cinereus) is described. Bone marrow was obtained fro m ten healthy koalas under general anaesthesia using the combination o f tiletamine HCL and zolazepam HCL. Reference ranges were wide. The me an value for M:E was 1.7 (range 0.8-2.7), the mean percentage prolifer ating erythroid was 11% (range 5%-16%), and the mean percentage prolif erating myeloid was 25% (range 17%-35%). In addition, bone marrow aspi ration was performed on 14 koalas with various haematological diseases . Results showed aspiration to be useful in the diagnosis of leukaemia , and the investigation of regenerative anaemia and dysplastic anaemia . It was of varying use in the investigation of non-regenerative anaem ia.