Week 1: Interpreting Bloodwork & Radiographs

• CBC

  • Red blood cell count (RBC), Hemoglobin (HGB), Hematocrit, MCHC/MCV
  • White blood cell count (WBC)
  • Platelet count (PLT)
• White blood cell count (WBC)

  • Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Monocytes, Basophils, Eosinophils
  • Absolute numbers and percentages
• Chemistry

  • Liver enzymes: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Aminotransferase (ALT), Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), Total bilirubin (TBIL), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
• Chemistry:

  • Kidney values: BUN, Creatinine (CREA), SDMA
  • Electrolytes: Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), Chloride (Cl)
• Chemistry:

  • Minerals: Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P)
  • Glucose (GLU)
  • Total protein (TP): Albumin, Globulin
• RBC vs. Hematocrit vs. PCV (packed cell volume)All 3 measure amount of red blood cells in the sample
• RBC vs. Hematocrit vs. PCV (packed cell volume)

  ○ All 3 measure amount of red blood cells in the sample

  ■ RBC is absolute value

  ■ Hematocrit and PCV are percentages (range of ~36-60%)

  ● PCV most reliable
• HGB is absolute value of hemoglobin found in sample
• MCV/MCHC measure size of RBCs and concentration of hemoglobin
• WBC given as absolute value and percentage → broken down into different types of WBC

  ○ Usually use absolute value when evaluating

  ○ Range of ~4.0-15.5 10^3/μL for dogs and ~3.5-16.0 10^3/μL for cats
• Can use absolute values or percentages for specific WBC types

  ○ Neutrophils are generally most common

  ○ Basophils and eosinophils are rare except in specific conditions
• Neutrophils- respond to bacterial infections and inflammation processes

  ○ Bands are immature neutrophils that are produced when mature neutrophil supply is used up
• Lymphocytes- respond in various types of infections and chronic inflammation, responsible for long-term immune response (i.e. antibodies)
• Monocytes- respond to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections and autoimmune conditions
• Basophils- histamine producing cells that respond to allergens and parasites
• Eosinophils- histamine producing cells that respond to allergens and parasites (often elevated with basophils)
• Anemia- Regenerative vs. Non-Regenerative

  ○ Use hematocrit/PCV (usually both) with MCV, MCHC, and nucleated RBC to determine if there is anemia and what kind
• hematocrit/PCV

  • Manual count/evaluation with a bloodsmear can be useful as can identifyother distinctive markers
• hematocrit/PCV

  • MCV without abnormalities is normocytic, MCHC without abnormalities is normochromic
  • ● These will vary depending on disease process (cell destruction, loss, and lack of production)
  • ● Hypo= low, hyper= high
• Changes in WBC (leukocytosis= high, leukopenia=low) ○ Leukocytosis will be most common in disease processes
• Stress leukogram: neutrophilia (high), lymphopenia (low), and monocytosis (high)

  • Response to stressful event- common in scared animals at the vet
• Types of WBCs will be elevated / low dependent on disease / condition, or influenced by comorbidities
• Platelet count changes

  • Thrombocytopenia- low amount in sample
  • Thrombocytosis
• Thrombocytosis

  • Not common but can occur due to certain disease processes or due to stress
• Thrombocytopenia

  • Happens due to loss, destruction, or lack of production
  • Platelet clumping in sample can also cause falsely low results
• Chemistry Values

  • Liver values- this is an organ that filters out toxins produced by the body, also produces bile acids that help break down food
• Liver values

  • ALP- enzyme found in multiple parts of body but primarily liver, helps break down proteins
• Liver values

  • ALT- enzyme also found primarily in liver but also kidneys, heart,muscle, pancreas, spleen, and lung, catalyze the interconversion of amino acids and oxoacids by transfer of amino groups
  • I.e. moves amino groups around to make new amino acids
• Liver values

  • GGT- enzyme primarily found in liver, facilitates transfer of glutamyl moiety to other acceptors as part of gluthathione recycling for glutamate production and protection from oxidative stress
• Liver values

  • AST- enzyme found in liver but also very common in other vital organs and muscle, catalyzes a reaction between the amino acids aspartate and glutamate and is an important enzyme in amino acid metabolism
• Liver values

  • TBIL- by-product of liver breaking down hemoglobin and it is excreted in bile, only found in liver
• Chemistry Values

  • Kidney values- also a filtering organ that excretes toxins through urine
• Kidney values

  • BUN (blood urea nitrogen)- urea is produced from the liver as a by-product of protein digestion, removed from body by kidneys
• Kidney values

  • Creatinine- waste by-product of wear-and-tear of muscles and protein digestions, removed from body by kidneys
• Kidney values

  • SDMA- amino acid that is produced via breakdown of proteins by most cells in the body at a constant rate, concentrations increase earlier than creatinine as glomerular filtration rate decreases
• Chemistry values

  • Total protein
• Total protein

  • Albumin- protein made by the liver, helps move many small molecules through the blood, including bilirubin, calcium, progesterone, and medicines
• Total protein

  • Globulin- proteins that help make up antibodies, liver function, inflammatory processes, and blood clotting ■ 3 types are gamma, alpha, and beta→ gamma is related to antibodies
• Radiographs

  • Directional terms:
  • Towards head- cranial
  • Towards spine- dorsal
  • Towards “belly”- ventral
  • Towards tail- caudal
• Radiographs directional terms

  • Lateral view- side on table is direction ■ I.e. if right side is on table, view is called right lateral