What dog leukemia signs and symptoms appear in a CBC blood test?

Hello. Those blood results indicate that there is a low red cell count, low white cell count and low platelets. This COULD indicate leukemia as all three cell lines are low, however it could also be due to a systemic infection and the platelets being low could be due to clumping. The first next step would be to send the blood away to an external lab to look for regeneration, as well as platelet clumps. If your dog is acting sick your vet may want to start on antibiotics in case of a systemtic infection. I suggest you go back to your vet and discuss these results, and discuss what the pathologist comments were if the blood was sent away externally. If bone marrow disease is suspected they can do a bone marrow biopsy.

I can see the results, but I'm unable to see the reference ranges for each value which can vary based on the machine so it's a little difficult to say for certain what these changes could mean. It looks to me like the monocytes and lymphocytes (specific types of white blood cells) are a little low - this could be a stress response which is very normal for a dog having it's blood drawn in the hospital. Some dogs simply lie on the lower end of the reference range as well. I can't think of any disease where low lymphocytes and monocytes in the absence of other changes would be significant, and this would not raise a flag for possible cancer in my mind. Red cell distribution width (RDW) gives an idea of the average size of a red blood cell and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCH) tells how much hemoglobin is present in each cell - these parameters are really only significant when there is also anemia or low hematocrit. If you have other concerns you should definitely follow up with your vet - it's always easiest for the doctor who has examined the animal and is familiar with the case to interpret lab results!

It's difficult to interpret lab work without some information on what symptoms the pet is having, why the test was run, etc. Without more information, all I can really say is that this CBC shows an elevated red blood cell count, which may indicate that the pet is dehydrated or can be a variation of normal in some pets. The white blood cell counts are mildly decreased, which can indicate some type of infection or, again, may not have any particular clinical significance. Feel free to post again with more information about what your pet is doing that concerns you, if you wish.

I am sorry Fluffy has not been feeling well. It is possible that patients can have normal blood work and still have cancer. Sometimes cancer does not show up in blood work. Typically cancers that are locally invasive like the nose do not show up in blood work. The best option is to try and take skull x-rays or have a CT/MRI completed to look at the swelling to help determine the cause. Fluffy might have an infection causing facial swelling or infection around a mass. Unfortunately with out more information we cannot tell if Fluffy has cancer. I hope he feels better soon

I would not be concerned about these results if this were my dog as long as the dog was acting normally and not showing any signs of illness. Remember, when we draw the blood we are only getting a tiny sample at one second in time. You could run the CBC again today and the levels may be back in the normal range. You can use an immune boosting supplement if you would like. It will not hurt anything and may help. I am sorry but we don't have access to what products are available in your country. You will need to get advice on that from your vet.

Usually more than elevated number you can find atypical blood cells (lymphocytes) in peripheral blood. Atypical means that their shape is unusual and suggestive of possible cancer. If no atypical cells are present and liver and spleen are not involved stage IV is ruled out. Stage V features include involvement of blood, bone marrow, central nervous system, or other organs (other than spleen or liver).

Blood results always have to be interpreted with the results of a hands-on exam and medical history in mind. Numbers alone cannot give a diagnosis. Your veterinarian should have explained those results to you as he also did a clinical exam and knows why you went to the vet with your dog. That said I can give you a general idea: The lab was looking for blod parasites, but did not find any. This can mean that your dog is blood parasite free or just that in the sample they had, there were no parasites visible. This is not proof that your dog is parasite free, it just means they did not find any. The PCV is high, that means your dog is likely somewhat dehydrated. He also has too many neutrophils and too few lymphocytes which is most often a sign of infection. Your veterinarian should explain to you what he suspects your dog is suffering from. The blood parameters alone are just a small part of diagnosis and in your dog's case not very specific.