Why is my dog's red blood cell count too high? What are the causes?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Polycythemia is just the medical term for higher than normal red blood cell count. This is most commonly related to mild-moderate dehydration, though other causes are possible. I am more concerned about the platelets. They are not terribly decreased, and if they are much improved from the last blood count, it may not be a concern. Speak with your vet about how to interpret these results and how much concern you should have about these values. Best wishes to you and Bruno!

With a white count that keeps getting higher despite antibiotics I would be concerned there is cancer hiding somewhere. An ultrasound would be my next test as it can look at the intestine, lymph nodes, liver and spleen. The spleen makes the red blood cells, and if it has a tumor then that can cause that count to drop. An immune disease can also cause a low red count.

Hello, and thank you for your question. It is difficult to interpret the results accurately without a medical history, however, in general: - white cell count is within normal range, indicating no sign of infection or inflammation - hemoglobin and PCV are slightly high, which usually indicates mild dehydration. This can be due to not drinking much water for a few hours prior to the blood sample, or from fluid losses through vomiting or diarrhea - MCV is an indicator of red cell size, which is only relevant if the pet is anemic (which Coco is not). I hope this helps, and that Coco is doing okay!

Hi there! If your cat is clinically normal (not having any symptoms of a problem), this likely is not a problem and doesn't mean anything at all. Some animals may have RBC counts that are slightly out of the normal "average" ranges on lab work. Unless there are symptoms of a problem that can be correlated with these changes, they're not usually anything to worry about.

Hello, the elevations of the cells is very mild. It appears that she may have a mild infection, given that his eosinophils are high, the most likely cause may be associated with parasites. The medications should not cause the white blood cells to go up, instead, it should help decrease their number. Speak with your veterinarian about checking his stool for parasites and consider deworming him as well. Also check for heart worm disease. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Based on the results posted, it looks as though Zack is slightly anemic, meaning that he has a low red blood cell count. This can be caused by blood loss during trauma or toxin exposure, blood loss into the gastrointestinal tract, or a lack of production of red blood cells by the bone marrow. Feel free to request a consultation if you have further concerns about Zack.

This bloodwork was performed on a human blood analyzer so it is not as accurate as if it was performed on an analyzer made for dogs. We do not use RDW-CV in dogs. In humans, if it is high, it could be an indication of a nutrient deficiency, such as a deficiency of iron, folate, or vitamin B-12. High results could also indicate macrocytic anemia, when your body doesn't produce enough normal red blood cells, and the cells it does produce are larger than normal. So, I don't know what to say about that as it is not really something we use in dogs. I don't see anything else on this blood report that is concerning. I suggest you make sure he is on a high quality food (like Royal Canin) and if he is not sick I would not be concerned.