Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How platelet size helps explain low platelets in dogs
By Bommer, N X et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2008·Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Platelet distribution width and mean platelet volume in the interpretation of thrombocytopenia in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) was studied to see if certain blood tests could help understand the underlying health issues. Researchers looked at 159 dogs with systemic diseases and compared them to 80 healthy dogs. They found that while some blood measurements related to platelets changed, they didn't provide clear answers about the causes of low platelet counts. This means that simply looking at these platelet measurements isn't enough to figure out why a dog has thrombocytopenia; vets need to consider other factors too.
People also search for: dog low platelet count causes · thrombocytopenia in dogs treatment · dog blood test results explained
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the use of platelet volume indices in the interpretation of thrombocytopenia in dogs with systemic disease. METHODS: Case records of 80 control dogs and 159 thrombocytopenic dogs with systemic disease were reviewed retrospectively. The relationships between mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width and platelet count in systemically well dogs were established. Knowledge of these relationships was used to interpret thrombocytopenia in terms of the underlying disease process. RESULTS: There was a positive relationship between platelet distribution width and mean platelet volume. Both platelet distribution width and mean platelet volume varied in a negative relationship with platelet count, which was unaffected by signalment, underlying disease, variations in haemotological parameters or serum proteins. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The interpretation of mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width in dogs requires simultaneous reference to the platelet count. Platelet volume indices did not aid interpretation of thrombocytopenia in terms of underlying pathological processes in the population studied.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18793252/