Test 1: CBC Values and Indications

Question 1

Increased PCV

Answer 1

Dehydration

Question 2

Decreased PCV

Answer 2

Anemia

Question 3

Increased reticulocytes

Answer 3

Regenerative anemia

(Blood loss or blood destruction)

Question 4

0 reticulocytes

Answer 4

Non-regenerative anemia

(Bone marrow is not working)

Question 5

Increased TP

Answer 5

Blood destruction

Question 6

Decreased TP

Answer 6

Blood loss

(hemorrhaging)

Question 7

Which species would you NOT

perform a reticulocyte count in?

Why?

Answer 7

HORSES

They don’t produce retics

Question 8

A decrease in lymphocytes is due to stress,

caused by this hormone

Answer 8

Cortisol- cytotoxic to lymphs

Question 9

An increase in lymphocytes indicates

excitement, caused by this hormone.

What can you do to check if you’re correct?

Answer 9

Epinephrine = Excitement in cats

Check glucose- also high with excitement

Question 10

What is the only reason that the

albumin level would be increased?

Answer 10

DEHYDRATION

Question 11

Increases in BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and Creatinine

are indicative of

Answer 11

Kidney dysfunction

Question 12

What is the most probable cause

of a decreased phosphorus level?

Answer 12

Diabetes

Check GLU levels to be sure:

high GLU = low phos

in diabetes

Question 13

What are two reasons you could have

for seeing an increased GLU level?

Answer 13

Diabetes

Excitement in cats

Question 14

What are the 3 reasons for seeing an

increase in Tbili (total bilirubin)?

What is the mechanism of insult

in regards to the liver?

Answer 14

Pre-hepatic- RBC destruction (check TP is increased)

Hepatic- Liver dysfunction (check ALT is increased)

Post-hepatic- Bile duct obstruction

(check AlkPhos is increased)

Question 15

Increased cholesterol is often seen in animals

with __________, which is also indicated by

low phosphorus and high glucose levels

Answer 15

Diabetes

Question 16

What is ALT? What does it mean if it’s

increased?

Answer 16

ALT (liver enzyme)

An increase = Liver dysfunction or Anemia

Question 17

What can cause an increase in Alkaline Phosphatase?

Answer 17

Bile duct obstruction

Question 18

What would you check to confirm a

metabolic acidosis

(commonly seen in animals with Diabetes)?

Answer 18

Check to see if the TCO2 (total bicarb)

is LOW

Question 19

An increase in unmeasured anions results

in an increased Anion Gap.

What anions are not being measured?

Answer 19

Ketones (Diabetes)

Lactic Acid (Lactic acidosis)

Question 20

Urine Specific Gravity that is

between 1.008 and 1.012

is low and indicates dysfunction in

Answer 20

The kidneys!

Can’t concentrate the urine

Question 21

What is the MCV (Mean Cell Volume)

and what does a deviation from the normal

suggest?

Answer 21

MCV is the average size of RBCs in an animal

Increase= Macrocytic Anemia

(regenerative: blood loss/destruction)

Decrease= Microcytic Anemia

(regenerative: Iron-deficiency anemia)

Question 22

What can cause an erroneously high

MCHC level?

Answer 22

Lipemia

Heinz bodies

Intravascular hemolysis

Question 23

What is an increase in Band Neutrophils

indicative of? What if bands are the only thing you

are seeing?

Answer 23

Increased bands= Inflammation

but if bands are the only thing you are seeing,

it’s Pelger-Huet Anomaly

(failure of the neutrophils to segment)

Question 24

An increase in Segs (segmented neutrophils)

means you have a/an

__________ leukogram

Answer 24

Inflammatory

Question 25

An increase in globulin means there is a

gammopathy.

What is a monoclonal gammopathy indicative of?

How about a polyclonal gammopathy?

Answer 25

Increased Globulin=

Monoclonal Gammopathy: Multiple Myeloma

Polyclonal Gammopathy: Canine Ehrlichiosis

Question 26

An increase in the RDW signifies

Answer 26

Anemia

(Red Cell Distribution Width)