Effect of Heavy Metals in feeding Dumpsite forage (Calapo - Calopogonium mucunoides) on Haematological profile of Rabbits (Oryctolagus Cuniculus)

Effect of feeding dumpsite forage (Calopo -Calopogonium mucunoides) on the heamatology of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was investigated. 24 rabbits; 20 females and 4 males were obtained and distributed randomly into two treatment groups of 10 females and 2 males with each of the groups being fed dumpsite forage and non-dumpsite forage respectively. The forage, specifically Calapo (Calopogonium mucunoides) was fed to the two groups’ ad-libitum with the non-dumpsite fed group serving as the control. After a period of 20 weeks, soil samples were taken from the sites sent to the laboratory, while the rabbits were sacrificed by anesthesia using chloroform soaked in the control and placed in the desiccators along with the animal one after the other, 5-10 ml of blood obtained were placed into EDTA bottles and transported to the laboratory for haematological and heavy metal analysis. The haematological results revealed a decreased in RBC count, Hemoglobin, PCV, MCH and MCV which may be attributed to the development of anemia in the form of microcytic and hypochromic. Total white blood cell count decreased while the neutrophils and eosinophils values increased in the dump-site treatment. Also, the heavy metal analysis from the dumpsite revealed increase in the content of cadmium, arsenic, lead and mercury above standard permissible limits. In conclusion, feeding of dumpsite forages to rabbits could pose hematoxic and hyperchromasia effect on the rabbits, thus posing health risk in animal and human populations exposed to chemical substances from waste dumpsites.