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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Question for Patrice regarding intrepreting cbc
| Hi Patrice, I had a question on bloodwork and I believe you are the expert. Is it possible to tell if platelet production is slow or if they are being destroyed somewhere in all those abbreviations on my lab results? Thanks, Lisa |
| Lisa CT |
| Hi Lisa, Sorry I missed this until today. Yes, a full CBC complete blood count should have the platelets on it. It could be listed as PLT or thrombocyte. It is measured in thousands of platelets per microliter of blood. So you may see something like 440k/ul to 150k/ul (normal values: 440,000, 150,000) or 50k/ul (nearing abnormal). Anything lower than 50,000 is considered abnormal and below 5,000 would be serious. Both of these numbers could lead to dangerous internal bleeding. The major issue that can occur with platelet counts is when the tech takes the blood sample. There can be possible clumping of platelets. This looks like mish mash to the automated analyzer and the count can appear to be very low on the test result. There are several ways to deal with it. The vet can clinically evaluate the dog to see if they do seem like they have very low platelets by looking for petechiae which are small red or purple pinpoints like a rash on the skin, esp in areas like the abdomen. This would indicate bleeding that is not being controlled by platelets. If this low count is on a test from a healthy robust dog that seems in perfect health then the vet will probably feel that this is an error of clumping and it should be noted on the cbc that way. The other way to determine if there is a very low platelet count is to take a small bit of fresh blood and do a blood smear. Then they take this slide and examine it under a microscope and count the number of platelets. I personally feel that any dog that is exhibiting symptoms of a blood disorder should have a blood smear done along with the automated analyzer CBC. Most busy vets don't. But experts recommend this is really an important part of an evaluation on a dog that presents with symptoms to a clinic. Other odd forms of cells can also be identified easily and the quality of the red blood cells can be visually evaluated. If there are truly low platelets then the vet must pursue diagnostics to determine what the problem is. Very low platelets is life threatening. They can be transfused in emergency cases, but this doesn't last very long, a day maybe? If a dog has bone marrow failure that includes the inability to make platelets along with red and white blood cells then there must be aggressive diagnostics done within the setting of an emergency clinic to determine what is going on and what they need to do to halt that process. Throw some numbers at me from your CBC and I can help you interpret all of them. my best patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
| Hi Patrice, Thanks for your help. This is what I have for platelet counts. I noticed that they also have a note on the lab report "lg platelets seen" I need to get him in soon for another CBC. I don't notice any marks on his belly or gums however in the past, he has had some redness there but it cleared up. 3/31 171 4/14 162 5/17 159 7/15 132/146 - prob w/machine - possibly inaccurate 8/19 124 9/1 110 |
| Lisa CT |
| Lisa, There is a gradual decline of the numbers (171,000 to 110,000). It's not in the danger zone, that would be closer to "50" (which is 50,000). But still something to wonder about. So it's either the machine is mis-calibrated or there is a true decline. Giant platelets are simply new platelets made by the bone marrow. Like new baby red blood cells called reticulocytes that are larger and of a different color than their mature red blood cells, platelets that are new can be larger and it is an indication of regeneration in the bone marrow. Why this is happening is the diagnostic puzzle. As I reported before in earlier posts, I would want to know exactly what is going on in the spleen. Is it enlarged? That would mean it is sequestering platelets, something it does do for various reasons. The vet can simply palpate (feel) the spleen and get some idea. An x-ray can give a general idea. An ultrasound can give a better picture. Weight changes can sometimes indicate this too. It's also possible that the higher numbers were a response to high levels of regeneration in the bone marrow and now the number is leveling out to a normal range (110,000). Ask your vet about this also. I personally would tend to believe this is the case if this were my dog. Please remember to post the new numbers and any other information that your vet provides. my best patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
This thread was discussed between 01/11/2010 and 07/11/2010
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