Equine Anemia Evaluation & Management Flashcards
what is the difference in the lifespan between equine and canine erythrocyte
equine cells have a longer lifespan
why is it difficult to determine if anemia is regenerative in horses
because immature red cells are not released from bone marrow to circulation
no reticulocytes in regenerative anemia
what is the average lifespan of red cells
140-150 days
what red cell parameters can help determine if there is regeneration
the MCV and MCHC
in regeneration it is likely that the cells will be larger
what type of tube should you use for an accurate platelet count
citrate tubes
they clump (rouleaux) in EDTA tubes causing the count to be lower than it is
when do band neutrophils occur
when there is an acute inflammatory problem
at what platelet value should you be concerned
below 50
what are more sensitive parameters to determine if there is inflammation present besides the white cell parameters
acute phase proteins are more sensitive
because horses can have a number of infectious conditions but the white cell count can be normal
what is a normal PCV in throughobreds
~38-45%
what is a normal PCV in standardbreds
~38-40%
what is a normal PCV in warmbloods
~33-35%
what is a normal PCV in clydesdales
~30-33%
what is a normal PCV in mixed cold blood
~33%
what effect does spenic contraction have on the PCV
30% of red cell mass
will increase PCV in exercise/fear
what causes splenic relaxation and what effect does this have on the PCV
sedation
lowers PCV to low 20s even
what evironmental factors can have significant effects on the hemotology values
exercise
feeding
travel
stress
what are the general clinical signs of anemia in horses due to acute blood loss/hemolysis (3)
- tachycardia
- tachypnea & hyperpnea (indicative of hypovolemia and hypoxemia)
- mucous membrane colour depends on severity of loss
what are the general clinical signs of anemia in horses due to chronic blood loss/hemolysis (5)
- exercise intolerance
- weight loss
- pallor of mucous membranes only clinically evident at <20-24 l/l
- adaptive tachycardia at <20 l/l
- hemic murmur due to decreased viscosity, increased turbulence
at what PO2 would you start seeing cyanosis
60 mmHg
what are the features of regeneration on blood smears and hematology (3)
- howell jolly bodies
- increase in MCV
- anisocytosis more marked
what is the arrow showing

howell jolly body
at what rate does regeneration typically occur
increase of 0.32-0.42% per day (ie ~3 days to increase by 1%)
how long does it take for albumin to recover during regenerative anemia
5-10 days
how long does it take globulins to recover in regenerative anemia
3-4 weeks
