How to use this Guide

This guide was developed as a practical hands-on resource for veterinarians and veterinary technicians in small animal practice.

We believe that hematology is one of the most useful, and most under-utilized, diagnostic tools in veterinary practice. The composition of the blood changes early in response to disease. Blood is readily obtained and, with modern instrumentation, is quickly and inexpensively evaluated. A complete hemogram provides a wealth of information about a patient's health or condition.

Our objective is to support the increased use of hematology in clinical practice by providing information in a concise, easy-to-find manner. We have chosen an outline format and kept the text to a minimum. The discussion of each cell type follows the same general outline:

• Overview
• Quantity

• Normal
• Decreased
• Increased

• Morphology
• Normal appearance and variation
• Abnormalities
• Artifacts

Emphasis has been placed on clinical application. Detailed discussions of ultrastucture, physiologic, and biochemical pathways are covered in longer texts. Cell icons are used to facilitate locating the appropriate section, and both normal and abnormal morphology are profusely illustrated. Multiple Choice Questions and Case Studies are included to encourage self-evaluation and integration of principles.

How to Use this Guide

1. Keep it open in the office laboratory.
2. Use in-clinic hematology instruments or a commercial laboratory to obtain a complete blood count.
3. Evaluate the cell morphology on stained smears.
4. Refer to the sections on "Interpreting the Hemogram" and to specific blood cell type(s).
5. Check the causes of quantitative disorders and the patterns of findings that suggest specific disease processes.
6. If you encounter abnormalities that you cannot characterize or that are beyond the scope of this book, consult a board certified veterinary clinical pathologist at a university or commercial laboratory.
7. Utilize hematology and this Guide consistently until it becomes a routine aspect of clinical care in your practice.

Limitations of this Guide

This guide is intended as a practical handbook for practitioners. As such, it does not cover all the known blood disorders of the dog and cat or contain detailed discussions of pathophyisiology. Excellent in-depth reference texts, such as (Schalm's Veterinary Hematology), are available. No guide can substitute for advanced training and experience in rare or complex disorders. We strongly encourage consulting with specialists on difficult or unusual cases.