Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Reticulated platelets in dogs with steroid responsive
By Heidemann, Pernille Lindholm et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Investigation of reticulated platelets in dogs with steroid responsive meningitis-arteritis using ADVIA2120i.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 10 dogs with steroid responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) had their blood tested for a type of young platelet called reticulated platelets. The results showed that these dogs had significantly more reticulated platelets compared to dogs with gastrointestinal issues, suggesting that the inflammation in SRMA might work differently than in other conditions. However, there was no link found between the number of reticulated platelets and the level of inflammation in their cerebrospinal fluid. This research could help veterinarians understand SRMA better and improve treatment options in the future.
People also search for: dog meningitis treatment · SRMA in dogs symptoms · reticulated platelets in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In steroid responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA), involvement of reticulated platelets is suspected based on the current knowledge of pathophysiology. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To compare reticulated platelets (whole blood) in dogs with SRMA to groups of healthy and diseased dogs. Furthermore, for dogs with SRMA, to investigate if reticulated platelets correlate with total nucleated cell count (TNCC) in cerebrospinal fluid. ANIMALS: Three groups were recruited from the University Hospital for Companion Animals or Anicura Holbæk Animal Hospital, Denmark; dogs with SRMA (n = 10), healthy dogs (n = 10), and dogs with signs of gastrointestinal disease and increased C-reactive protein in serum (n = 10). METHODS: This retrospective case-control study investigated differences in percentages of reticulated platelets and total number of reticulated platelets (#reticPLTs) between included groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test. In dogs with SRMA, TNCC in cerebrospinal fluid and correlation with reticulated platelet variables were investigated with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Statistical significance was defined as P value < .05. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found for #reticPLTs between dogs with SRMA (median 4.94 × 109 cells/L; 95% CI, 3.33-7.32) and dogs with signs of gastrointestinal disease (median 2.56 × 109 cells/L; 95% CI, 2.02-6.32) (P = .02). No significant correlation was found between reticulated platelet variables and TNCC in dogs with SRMA. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This study highlights potential involvement of reticulated platelets in SRMA pathophysiology. The identified difference in #reticPLT between dogs with SRMA and dogs with signs of inflammatory gastrointestinal disease might suggest differences in inflammatory pathways that are worth investigating in future research of SRMA pathophysiology.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41742523/