Blood Smears
Where on a blood smear should you examine cells for morphology?
Feathered edge
What do you use to check the specific gravity of urine?
Refractometer
What is the purpose of fecal flotation or sedimentation tests?
Detect parasite eggs or cysts
How many white blood cells are counted during a manual differential?
100 cells
What condition occurs when RBCs are decreased?
Anemia
At what magnification do you examine RBC, WBC, and platelet morphology?
100x (oil immersion)
How long should urine be centrifuged for sediment analysis?
3-5 minutes
How long should the fecal flotation sit with the coverslip before examining?
About 10 minutes
What is an increased WBC count called?
Leukocytosis
What is the normal PCV range in dogs?
37-55%
What stain is commonly used in the clinic to stain blood smears?
Diff-Quik
After centrifugation, what is done with the supernatant?
Pour it off
Do you fill the fecal tube to the meniscus before or after centrifuging
After
Which white blood cell often contains cytoplasmic vacuoles and has a large kidney-shaped nucleus?
Monocyte
What is the normal total protein (TP) range in dogs and cats?
5.5–7.5 g/dL
What color tube is used to collect blood for a blood smear?
Purple (EDTA) tube
What structures are you looking for when examining urine sediment under the microscope?
Cells (RBCs, WBCs, and epithelial), crystals, casts, and bacteria
You see oval eggs with a thin shell containing a cluster of cells. What parasite are these eggs probably from?
Hookworms (Ancylostoma)
This WBC has a segmented nucleus surrounded by pale cytoplasm with many orange/red or pink rod-shaped granules. What cell is it?
Eosinophil
What does PCV measure?
The percentage of total blood volume made up of red blood cells.
What shape should a properly made blood smear have?
thumbprint shape
This crystal is the most common crystal found in dogs and cats and has a shape often described as a “coffin lid.” In what type of urine pH does this crystal form?
-Struvite crystal
-Forms in alkaline urine
You see circular eggs with a thick shell that are larger than Taenia tapeworm eggs. What parasite are these eggs from?
Roundworms (Ascarid)
A cat has been diagnosed with feline herpesvirus, a viral infection. What white blood cell would you expect to see increased?
Lymphocytes
A patient has a normal PCV but an elevated total protein (TP). What condition might this suggest?
Infection or inflammation
(Globulins increase during immune response)