Equine Haematology

Go to donkey parameters

Horse

Haematologic Type US Units Full US Units Internarional Standard Units (SI) Full SI Units Normal Ranges
UNITED STATES UNITS / International Standard Units (SI)
Neutrophils (Segmented) % x10-3/uL Per microlitre % x10-9/L Per litre 30 - 75% or 3 - 6
Neutrophils (band) % x10-3/uL Per microlitre % x10-9/L Per litre 0 - 1% or 0 - 0.1
Lymphocytes % x10-3/uL Per microlitre % x10-9/L Per litre 25 - 60 / 1.5 - 5
Monocytes % x10-3/uL Per microlitre % x10-9/L Per litre 1 - 8 / 0 - 0.6
Eosinophils % x10-3/uL Per microlitre % x10-9/L Per litre 1 - 10 / 0 - 0.8
Basophils % x10-3/uL Per microlitre % x10-9/L Per litre 0 - 3% or 0 - 0.3
Myeloid/Erythroid Ratio No units No units No units No units 0.9 - 3.8 : 1
Plasma Proteins g/dL Grams per deci-litre x10g/L Grams per litre 6 - 8.5
Plasma Fibrogen g/dL Grams per deci-litre x10g/L Grams per litre 0.1 - 0.4
Packed Cell Volume (PCV) (Haematocrit) % Percentage x10-2/L Per litr 32 - 48 (Lower in cold-blooded)
Hemoglobin (Hgb) g/dL Grams per deci-litre x10 g/L Grams per litre 10 - 18
Red Blood Cells (RBC) x10-6/uL Per microlitre x10 g/L Grams per litre 6 - 12
Reticulocytes % Percentage % Percentage 0
Mean Corpuscular Volume f/L Per femtolitre f/L Per femtolitre 34 - 58
Mean Corpuscular Hgb pg Per picogram pg Per picogram 13 - 19
Mean Corpuscular Hgb Concentration g/dL Grams per deci-litre x10 g/L Grams per litre 31 - 37
Platelets x10-5/uL Per microlitre x10-11/L Per litre 1 - 6
White Blood Cells x10-3/uL Per microlitre x10-9/L Per litre 6 - 12

Donkey

Parameter/units Average Range Interpretation
RBC 1012/l 5.5 (4 - 7.3) Red blood cells, packed cell volume, haemoglobin:

Elevations in RBC, PCV, and Hb may occur in dehydration and with stress, excitation and exercise. A reduction in these values may occur with acute haemorrhage, chronic inflammation, renal disease, hepatic disease, parasitism, haemolysis, and haematopoietic neoplasia.

PCV % 33 (25 - 38) As above
Hb g/dl 11.6 (9 - 15.3) As above
MCH pg 21.9 (18.9 - 28.6) Mean corpuscular haematology:

Elevations occur with haemolysis. Reductions usually indicate iron deficiency.

MCHC g/dl 34.8 (31.4 - 39.1) Mean corpuscular haematological concentration:

Elevations occur with haemolysis. Reductions may indicate iron deficiency.

MCV fl 64 (57 - 79) Macrocytosis seen with regenerative anaemia. Microcytosis seen with iron deficiency.
WBC 109/l 10.2 (6.1 - 16.1) White blood cells. The total number of WBC is influenced by the numbers of neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, monocytes and basophils. Leucocytosis is seen with septic and non-septic inflammatory conditions. Leucopaenia can occur

during viral infection and severe leucopenia with acute bacterial infections.

NEU % 50.5 (28 - 78) Neutrophils. Neutrophilia can arise transiently due to exercise, excitement and stress. Elevations are seen with septic and non-septic inflammatory conditions and acute bacterial infections. Corticosteroids, exogenous and endogenous, also cause a neutrophilia. Neutropenia can occur during viral infections.
NEU T 109/l 5.0 (2.2 - 13.3) As above
EOS % 4 (1 - 10) Eosinophils. Eosinophilia may be seen as a result of parasitism, allergic respiratory disease and eosinophilic leukaemia. Eosinopaenia is hard to evaluate as the numbers of eosinophils in normal donkeys are low.
EOS T 109/l 0.38 (0.09 - 1.15) As above
BAS % 0 (0 - 0.8) Basophils. Basophilia is rare in donkeys.
BAS T 109/l 0 (0 - 0.5) As above
LYM % 43 (17 - 65) Lymphocytes. Lymphocytosis occurs in response to chronic viral infections, autoimmune disease and with excitement or exercise. Large elevations in lymphocyte numbers can be seen in lymphoma. Lymphopaenia occurs as a result of stress, exogenous corticosteroid administration, severe bacterial or viral infections, endotoxemia and immunodeficiency.
LYM T 109/l 4.2 (1.8 - 7.8) As above
MON % 1 (0 - 5) Monocytes. Monocytosis can occur as a result of chronic suppurative and granulomatous inflammation. It may also be seen during recovery from viral infections of the upper respiratory tract.
MON T 109/l 0.13 (0 - 0.8) As above
Platelets 109/l 5.5 (4 - 7.3) Thrombocytes. Thrombocytosis is rare but can occur in bacterial infections. Thrombocytopaenia may be seen in disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), immunemediated thrombocytopenia, equine infectious anaemia (EIA), endotoxemia, equine ehrlichiosis, neoplasia, or as a result of severe haemorrhage. Artifactual reductions in platelet numbers can occur as a result of platelets clumping in EDTA.

Svendsen, E.D., Duncan, J. and Hadrill, D. (2008) The Professional Handbook of the Donkey, 4th edition, Whittet Books, Appendix 1