What will a CBC reveal about My Pet?

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One of the much more common blood tests done during a medical workup of an animal is the measurement of a CBC blood count. This essential test certainly may reveal lots of essential information to the examining veterinarian. The measurement of the red blood cell count will tell a veterinarian whether a pet is dehydrated, as well as whether a pet is anemic with a lower than normal red blood cell count.

When anemia is diagnosed on a CBC, the veterinarian will typically begin an comprehensive diagnostic workup to evaluate for the underlying causes of the anemia.  Increases or decreases in the white blood cell count may reveal viral or bacterial infection, as well as possible need for prescription antibiotics or other immune stimulant supplements such as Vetri-DMG liquid. Platelet counts will reveal how well a pet’s blood is able to clot, and is essential as numerous tick born diseases as well as autoimmune diseases may lower platelet counts and cause disease. On rare occasions, certain types of cancers may show up on measuring a CBC. during any disease process, numerous veterinarians will typically monitor the CBC during treatment to make sure that the pet is progressing and that the original presenting grievance is slowly resolving.