Exam 1 Review

Question 1

lipemia, excess EDTA, and increased concentrations of some solutes (urea, glucose), have what effect on plasma protein as measured by refractometry?

Answer 1

falsely increase the concentration

Question 2

what is the most common cause of opaque white plasma in a dog?

Answer 2

the patient recently ate a meal

Question 3

you want to do a CBC as part of your work-up on a mare that has been coughing and losing weight. what is the most appropriate tube to use for this test?

Answer 3

purple-topped tube

Question 4

you are reading bloodwork on an 8-year-old cat that presented for weakness and lethargy. Hgb, Hct, RBC are low but MCHC is high. what is the best explanation for this?

Answer 4

the sample is hemolyzed

Question 5

what are causes of increased MCHC (Hb concentration)?

Answer 5

hemolysis, oxyglobin administration, heinz bodies, lipemia - irion is spilling out of RBC

Question 6

rouleaux is normal in what species?

Answer 6

horses and cats

Question 7

you are reading a blood smear from a 5 year old mare that presented for weakness and jaundice. on the smear you note rouleaux and agglutination. what is the most likely underlying disease process?

Answer 7

immune-mediated hemolysis

Question 8

what infectious disease should you test for in cats with macrocytic, normochromic anemias?

Answer 8

feline leukemia virus

Question 9

what are causes of macrocytic, normochromic anemia?

Answer 9

• cobalt deficient/molybdenum rich pasture
• vitamin B12 deficiencies
• FeLV w myelodysplasia
  - regenerative anemia in horses!!!* need to do bone marrow aspirate- they don’t like releasing reticulocytes!

Question 10

you are examining a blood smear from a 10 year-old quarter horse. the PCV is 25% (34-45). you see small, non-staining projections on some of the erythrocytes. you do a new methylene blue stain and see blue inclusions and projections in the RBCs. what would be the best explanation for the horse’s anemia?

Answer 10

red maple leaf toxicity

Question 11

what are causes for the presence of heinz bodies?

Answer 11

• onions: large and small animals
• red maple leaf in horses
• acetaminophen or propofol in cats
• zinc toxicity in dogs

Question 12

what are causes of acanthocytes?

Answer 12

• liver disease
• hemangiosarcoma
• portosystemic shunts

Question 13

what are causes of echinocytes?

Answer 13

• artifact- most common
• renal disease
• dehydration
• snake envenomation!!

Question 14

what are causes of basophilic stippling?

Answer 14

• it’s an aggregation of ribosomes
• regenerative anemia in ruminants!!
• lead poisoning: esp if in high numbers in ABSENCE of anemia (lead preventing ribosomes from breaking down)

Question 15

what are causes of howell-jolly bodies?

Answer 15

• regenerative anemia
• nonfunctioning/absent spleen
• glucocorticoids
• chemo agents
  they are fragments of nuclear material left behind after expulsion of nucleus

Question 16

you are reading bloodwork from a 3-year old Holstein cow that presented off feed and decreased milk production. Literally every value is low, except for platelets. on a smear you see anisocytosis, leptocytosis, and basophilic stippling. what is the best explanation for the anemia?

Answer 16

chronic intestinal bleeding

Question 17

how long does it take to see a reticulocytosis?

Answer 17

2-3 days after hemorrhage occurs
- polychromasia
- macrocytosis
- hypochromasia
confirm with a NMB stain
- if retics still present 3 weeks later, anemia is now CHRONIC

Question 18

what are causes of microcytic, hypochromic anemia? is it regenerative or nonregenerative?

Answer 18

• nonregenerative!
• iron deficiency!
• RBC not being produced right
• portosystemic shunts

Question 19

a 6-year-old spayed dog presents with lethargy and weakness. the hemogram reads with a macrocytic, hypochromic anemia with a reticulocytosis. what is the best explanation of the dog’s anemia?

Answer 19

hemorrhage

Question 20

a poodle presents with a 3-week history of PU/PD and recent anorexia. the patient is mildly dehydrated. Hemogram shows a normocytic, normochromic anemia. what is the best cause of RBC abnormalities in this patient?

Answer 20

anemia of chronic disease

Question 21

a patient presents with a reticulocytosis and increased RDW. what is the best explanation for the increased RDW?

Answer 21

some cells are larger than normal

Question 22

a 10 year old dog presents for several weeks of mild lethargy. the hemogram shows a normocytic, normochromic anemia. what is the best explanation for these abnormalities?

Answer 22

endocrinopathy

Question 23

what are causes of a normocytic, normochromic anemia with normal to increased neutrophils/platelets?

Answer 23

• chronic renal disease
• endocrinopathies
• anemia of chronic disease
• pure red cell aplasia (estradiol, BM precursors lost)

Question 24

you see an 8-year-old golden on emergency after being hit by a car. the patient is anemic and you suspect hemoabdomen as he has a distended belly. on the hemogram the reticulocyte count is normal. what is your explanation for this?

Answer 24

the bone marrow hasn’t had enough time to respond to the anemia

Question 25

what are causes of schistocytes?

Answer 25

- microvascular abnormalities - DIC - hemangiosarcoma - vasculitis

Question 26

you examine the blood slide from an acutely ill Rottweiler. the blood film appears thin and you see increased numbers of acanthocytes and schistocytes throughout the film. what is your diagnosis?

Answer 26

disseminated intravascular coagulation

Question 27

elliptocytes are a normal finding in what species?

Answer 27

llamas

Question 28

what is the term for thin erythrocytes with increased central pallor, and what disease process do they associate with?

Answer 28

leptocytes- iron deficiency

Question 29

what are causes for spherocytes?

Answer 29

- IMHA! - transfusion of stored blood - envenomation - RBC parasites

Question 30

you are examining bloodwork on a terrier. she has a macrocytic, hypochromic anemia with a reticulocytosis. on a smear, you see reticulocytes and high numbers of spherocytes. what is your diagnosis?

Answer 30

IMHA

Question 31

leptocytes are typically indicative of what process?

Answer 31

iron deficiency

Question 31

a bernese mountain dog presents with a microcytic, hypochromic, non-regenerative anemia. on smear, you see increased numbers of leptocytes. what is your diagnosis?

Answer 31

iron deficiency

Question 32

you do a farm visit on a horse who seems BAR, but has had a mild history of weight loss and coughing. you run a CBC and serum biochemistry and found a markedly decreased total calcium and increased potassium. what is the most likely cause of these findings?

Answer 32

decreased Calcium (Ca2+) and increased Potassium (K+) - EDTA chelates Ca2+ to prevent clottinig

Question 33

why would an RBC count be elevated?

Answer 33

- hemoconcentration due to plasma volume: dehydration! body isn't actually making more. plasma proteins will also be increased unless concurrent disease is going on - can also be caused from splenic contraction in horses!! sympathetic nerve stimulation

Question 34

what are factors that decrease O2 affinity of Hb?

Answer 34

- increased H+ (lower pH) - increased CO2 - increased temp - increased 2,3-DPG

Question 35

what is relative polycythemia?

Answer 35

- looks like RBC are high, but not actually increased production - dehydration - endotoxic shock - splenic contraction

Question 36

what is absolute polycythemia?

Answer 36

- excess numbers of RBCS are produced! - primary and secondary

Question 37

what is primary absolute polycythemia?

Answer 37

- EPO is normal or decreased - pO2 is normal - caused by myeloproliferative disorders - RBC themselves are defective: cancer of RBC: constantly produced even when not told to

Question 38

what is secondary absolute polycythemia?

Answer 38

- increased EPO - tumors! - appropriate production of EPO due to hypoxia! more common. high altitude, heart disease, pulmonary disease