Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How high platelet counts relate to diseases in dogs
By Athanasiou, Labrini V et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2017·Department of Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Magnitude of reactive thrombocytosis and associated clinical conditions in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 195 dogs with high platelet counts (thrombocytosis) were studied to understand the underlying causes and associated health conditions. The dogs showed that about half had non-cancerous and non-inflammatory issues, while others had inflammatory or cancer-related conditions. The research found that dogs with cancer and low red blood cell levels had significantly higher platelet counts compared to those with other health problems. If your dog has high platelet counts and is also anemic, it's important to discuss the possibility of cancer with your veterinarian.
People also search for: dog high platelet count causes · dog anemia and cancer symptoms · why does my dog have high platelets
Abstract
Previous studies on the underlying causes of thrombocytosis have raised scientific interest in its clinical relevance in dogs. The purpose of this study was: (1) to explore the clinical conditions associated with thrombocytosis; (2) to compare platelet counts among these conditions; and (3) to identify possible interactions with other haematological variables and associated conditions. Medical records of 195 dogs with thrombocytosis (platelet count >500×10/μL) were reviewed for signalment, complete blood count results and definitive diagnosis. The prevalence of thrombocytosis was 6.02%. All cases included had reactive thrombocytosis, with non-neoplastic, non-inflammatory underlying conditions in 48.2%, inflammatory processes in 34.4% and neoplastic processes in 17.4%. Haemoglobin and white blood cell counts were negatively and positively associated with platelet count, respectively. This study revealed that mean platelet count in dogs with neoplasia and a packed cell volume of 35% or below was significantly higher than that for dogs with other disease categories. Therefore, for dogs with marked thrombocytosis and anaemia, it is recommended that neoplasia should be included in the list of differential diagnoses.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28780529/