Biochemistry Blood Test

[CharliesDad]

Hi all,

 

Charlie's vet is researching this question from her end but she is fairly new to greyhounds. She thinks she may feel something unusual in one of his abdominal organs and has ordered blood work to investigate. Charlie's results are normal except the following:

 

Total protein............52......low.............normals 54-75...............units: g/L

Globulin...................17......low.............normals 18-39...............units: g/L

A/G ratio.................2.1.....high.............normals 0.8-1.7

Creatinine..............162......high.............normals 30-140............units: umol/L

 

Thanks, any help is appreciated!

 

CD

 

[turbotaina]

You can give this to your vet: Dr. Stack's Bloodwork Article or refer her to the OSU Greyhound Health & Wellness Program: OSU-GHWP

[ahicks51]

You can give this to your vet: Dr. Stack's Bloodwork Article or refer her to the OSU Greyhound Health & Wellness Program: OSU-GHWP

 

And to summarize from Dr. Stack's article:

 

"Greyhound total proteins tend to run on the low end of normal - T.P.s in the 5.0's and 6.0's are the norm."

Total protein (greyhound norms): 4.5 - 6.2

Your value: 5.2

 

Globulin (greyhound norms): 2.1 - 3.2

Your value: 17 (are you sure this is in units of g/L? "Other dogs" normals are given as 2.8-4.2.)

In any event, the point is that globulin is normally a little lower in the greyhound than in other breeds, and being one point lower than the reference values puts in in the "low normal" range for greys.

 

A/G ratio (albumin:globulin ratio) will then be skewed because globulin seems so low. If albumin is normal, the A/G ratio would seem high.

 

As for creatinine:

 

Greyhounds: .8 - 1.6

Other dogs: .0 - 1.0

 

Again- different units. But the point is that relatively high creatinine is not unusual for the retired racing grey.

[CharliesDad]

Very helpful replies. Thanks!! I will print some of this for my vet. I did search the forum under biochemisty but didn't see a thread on these details so hopefully this will help other too.

 

Perhaps the different units for the globulin reflect a different lab practice here in Canada. However, they did lose Charlie's first blood sample, so I will point this discrepancy out to the vet.

 

Thanks again,

 

CD

[feemandvm]

You can give this to your vet: Dr. Stack's Bloodwork Article or refer her to the OSU Greyhound Health & Wellness Program: OSU-GHWP

 

And to summarize from Dr. Stack's article:

 

"Greyhound total proteins tend to run on the low end of normal - T.P.s in the 5.0's and 6.0's are the norm."

Total protein (greyhound norms): 4.5 - 6.2

Your value: 5.2

 

Globulin (greyhound norms): 2.1 - 3.2

Your value: 17 (are you sure this is in units of g/L? "Other dogs" normals are given as 2.8-4.2.)

In any event, the point is that globulin is normally a little lower in the greyhound than in other breeds, and being one point lower than the reference values puts in in the "low normal" range for greys.

 

A/G ratio (albumin:globulin ratio) will then be skewed because globulin seems so low. If albumin is normal, the A/G ratio would seem high.

 

As for creatinine:

 

Greyhounds: .8 - 1.6

Other dogs: .0 - 1.0

 

Again- different units. But the point is that relatively high creatinine is not unusual for the retired racing grey.

Don't take teh ranges listed on the link listed above as a reference range... they really are somewhat laboratory dependent. I see a LOT of Greyhounds with creatinine levels over 1.6 that are completely normal.

 

When it comes to learning Greyhound bloodwork, learn trends:

 

Greyhounds can have creatinine levels often slightly above the reference range used for of other dogs

Greyhounds can have globulin levels slightly lower than the reference range used for other dogs.

 

Total protein is made up of albumin and globulin... so if a Greyhound has a low globulin then they will typically have a low total protein. If they also have a low globulin, then they will have a higher albumin to globulin ratio.

 

Again... learn trends and not ranges and units won't matter. Here are some extra links for you:

 

http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com...d%20Labwork.pdf

http://www.animalmedicalcentreofmedina.com...cket%202005.pdf