[The hematologic analyzer Vet ABC: evaluation of its use for dogs and cats]

The blood analyser Vet ABC was evaluated using the blood of dogs and cats. The correlation of results with those obtained with standard reference methods, reproducibility, and ease of operation were investigated. Good accuracy reproducibility were found in both species for leucocyte and erythrocyte counts, haematocrit, haemoglobin level, MCV, MCH, and MCHC. However, for some parameters new reference values will have to be established. The Vet ABC is not reliable for the measurement of platelets in the cat, and in the dog it does not give reproducible measurements of low numbers of platelets. In general, the Vet ABC is easy to use and does not need much maintenance.