Question About Blood Test Results

[Hawthorn]

I took Sunny to the vet today for his annual check up and had some blood tests done.

 

When the vet rang with the results, he said that the only thing of note (apart from slightly below normal albumin) was that the overall white cell count was on the low side at 3.69 (range 5.5 - 16.9) but he said not to worry about it. Since then I've read up on this and Dr Feeman's notes say that normal range for a greyhound is 2 - 6 and Dr Stack says 3.5 - 6.5 so I don't think I need to be overly worried about this result, except that last year Sunny's white cell count was 6.9. This seems quite a big drop to me and I just wondered if anyone knows if this might be significant or whether this kind of variation is "normal"?

 

Sunny is 4 years old and is healthy apart from he had a small area of skin infection on his leg, for which he had antibiotics 4 weeks ago, and has had diarrhoea since then, which is just starting to improve.

 

 

[MaryJane]

The normal range that I am familiar with is 5 to 16. This can vary drastically but should be within the normal range. The value that you mentioned of 2 to 6 from Dr Feeman and 3.5 to 6.5 from Dr Stack seem way too low - do you have a link to that paper?

 

The count is on the low side (as compared to a human value) and this can be caused from a variety of reasons such as blood disorder, immune reaction, or infection. You mentioned that there was a leg infection and a 4 week bout with diarrhea. I suppose either one or both of these may be causing this.

 

If I was in this situation, I would do three things:

1. stay on top of the leg infection and make sure that it is resolving

2. if the diarrhea was from the antibiotics (which it sounds like it may have been the culprit), give some yogurt to replenish the "good" bacteria in the gut.

3 while I wouldn't get paranoid about the value, about a month after the diarrhea and infection are taken care of, I would do another WBC to just check that it has returned to a "normal range".

 

 

[Burpdog]

Sounds fine to me

[brandimom]

I would send an email to Dr. Jane Dodds and run this by her. She would have good information. Give Sunny a hug and kiss from us.

[Guest Grhndad]

The range 3.5 - 6 is considered the normal range for greys. The drop could very well be from the infection that he had.

Sure sounds good to me.

[HopeForHounds]

Sounds okay to me.

[Hawthorn]

Thanks everyone .

 

The normal range that I am familiar with is 5 to 16. This can vary drastically but should be within the normal range. The value that you mentioned of 2 to 6 from Dr Feeman and 3.5 to 6.5 from Dr Stack seem way too low - do you have a link to that paper?

 

The count is on the low side (as compared to a human value) and this can be caused from a variety of reasons such as blood disorder, immune reaction, or infection. You mentioned that there was a leg infection and a 4 week bout with diarrhea. I suppose either one or both of these may be causing this.

 

If I was in this situation, I would do three things:

1. stay on top of the leg infection and make sure that it is resolving

2. if the diarrhea was from the antibiotics (which it sounds like it may have been the culprit), give some yogurt to replenish the "good" bacteria in the gut.

3 while I wouldn't get paranoid about the value, about a month after the diarrhea and infection are taken care of, I would do another WBC to just check that it has returned to a "normal range".

 

The papers are here Dr Feeman and here Dr Stack .

 

Thanks for your advice . The leg infection is completely cleared up now and has been for at least a couple of weeks. I'm sure the diarrheoa has been from the antibiotics and I have been giving Sunny some probiotics and things have been slowly getting back to normal. Sunny also had a titre test done to see if he needs his booster vaccination this year. In about a week's time when I get the result of this, the plan is to give him any vaccines he may need. My concern with the drop in the value of his white cell count was that it might mean that he has some immune system problem going on which might mean I shouldn't vaccinate him at this time. From what you say, though, the count can vary drastically so maybe I shouldn't worry as long as it stays withiin the range considered normal for greyhounds?

 

 

I would send an email to Dr. Jane Dodds and run this by her. She would have good information. Give Sunny a hug and kiss from us.

 

Thank you - that's a really interesting suggestion and I might just do that - I'd be really impressed if she actually replied to me! Consider Sunny hugged and kissed (endlessly) .

 

[MaryJane]

Thanks everyone .

 

The papers are here Dr Feeman and here Dr Stack .

 

Thanks for your advice . The leg infection is completely cleared up now and has been for at least a couple of weeks. I'm sure the diarrheoa has been from the antibiotics and I have been giving Sunny some probiotics and things have been slowly getting back to normal. Sunny also had a titre test done to see if he needs his booster vaccination this year. In about a week's time when I get the result of this, the plan is to give him any vaccines he may need. My concern with the drop in the value of his white cell count was that it might mean that he has some immune system problem going on which might mean I shouldn't vaccinate him at this time. From what you say, though, the count can vary drastically so maybe I shouldn't worry as long as it stays withiin the range considered normal for greyhounds?

 

I went to Ohio state and checked their web site and this is one of their references to a low white count. Please note the words "can be" and the suggestion of "additional lab work".

 

"Greyhounds normally have lower white blood cell (WBC) counts than non-Greyhounds. A WBC count as low as 3,000 can be completely normal in a healthy Greyhound. A complete physical examination and additional lab work recommended by your family veterinarian should yield additional information on whether your dog had a disease that causes low WBC counts."

 

I take this to mean that greyhounds can run lower WBC but, care should be taken that there is no other condition. I could be wrong but, I do not understand this to mean that a value of 3 should be considered normal across the board.

 

I checked the Dr Feeman paper (which also has a coauthor of Dr Couto) and in that article it states:

 

Greyhounds frequently have lower WBC counts than normal dogs, and commonly have between 2,000 and 6,000/μl (2-6 X 109/L); therefore, a WBC count of 2,000/μl (2.0 X 109/L) is normal for the breed and should not be of concern in an otherwise healthy dog.

 

This statement is a little off in the way it is worded because it is suggesting that the normal range for WBC in greyhounds is 2 to 6 (as I read it). But, if you factor in the words frequently and commonly, I think what the author is trying to state a case for is that the majority of greyhounds run in the lower ranges (of the 5 to 16) and this should be taken into consideration in a healthy dog. I could be wrong but, I don't think this is meant to be a blanket statement that greyhounds have a value of 2 to 6. If this was the case, then the value of 6.9 that your dog had before would be an issue (was your vet concerned about that value).

 

The paper from Dr. Stack is a summary of papers by other authors. Without reading the other papers, it would be hard to identify how the values were complied.

 

The key words I'm reading in both of the statements above is that the 2 or 3 WBC values are OK in a healthy greyhound. But, what I'm not reading is that these values alone indicate that the greyhound is healthy. Subtle difference ...

 

As to whether or not to do a booster vaccine, your vet is the one to ask. He/she is the expert and has the the experience on how vaccines interact with the dog's body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[duncan41]

As to whether or not to do a booster vaccine, your vet is the one to ask. He/she is the expert and has the the experience on how vaccines interact with the dog's body.

 

I have had the "booster vaccine" conversation with three Vets within the last month and received three different answers. One said there's no harm in vaccinating as compared to the alternative, the second said to vaccinate conservatively - every three years - and administer only one at a time, one year apart and the third said to vaccinate for rabies only every three years and titer for everything else.

 

I do not get the "warm fuzzies" from the Veterinary community in general on the subject of vaccinations. One rule that cannot be contradicted is that if a dog has ANY condition compromising the immune system, vaccinating prior to complete resolution is not advisable.

[feemandvm]

When ever you read a paper on ANY Greyhound lab abnormality (low thyroid levels, low WBCs, low platelets, high creatinines) these are trends and not hard rules. A Greyhound MAY have a level of WBCs as low as 2,000/ul and still be normal... but that is not to say that EVERY Greyhound with a WBC count of 2,000 is normal. If the dog is otherwise healthy then it likely is normal and a simple follow-up may be all that is required. A WBC count of 2,000 in a sick Greyhound with a 105 degree fever would be very concerning to me. Same thing with hte other lab values.

 

A drop from 6.9 to 3.69 does not imply a "problem" but I would likely repeat the WBC count in another few weeks just to see if it is "stable".

 

 

[Hawthorn]

Thank you for clarifying that Dr Feeman. I will get Sunny's WBC rechecked in a month's time to see if it is stable, before I give him any booster vaccinations.