The blood count is important in investigations of underlying diseases. Automated hematology analyzers are frequently used in clinical laboratories to assess and monitor health condition of patients.
Although WBC and PLT populations vary less among mammals, different species may respond differently to inflammation and reference ranges are critical for interpretation of the results. The “normal” range should reflect the “reference” of 95% of the animals. Most automated hematology analyzers have pre-set reference ranges based on literature references or clinical studies. However, it is recommended that each clinic establishes its own reference ranges. This as cell counts might vary between regions, breeds, ages, and genders and can be affected by factors such as medication, diet, stress, and pregnancy.
To read more about normal reference ranges and inter- and intra-species variations, read whitepaper: veterinary hematology analysis: reference ranges.