Clinical hematology practices at veterinary teaching hospitals and private diagnostic laboratories

The clinical hematology practices utilized at veterinary teaching hospitals and private veterinary diagnostic laboratories were surveyed using a questionnaire. The hematology caseload at private diagnostic laboratories was larger, and comprised predominantly of canine and feline submissions. The Coulter S Plus IV and Serono Baker 9000 were the hematology analyzers used most frequently at veterinary medical laboratories. The Abbott Cell-Dyn 3500, a multispecies analyzer capable of leukocyte differential counting, was utilized more by private laboratories. Commercial hematology control reagents were used at all laboratories; teaching hospital laboratories more often used reagents supplied by the manufacturer of the analyzer. A greater percentage of private diagnostic laboratories participated in the external quality assurance programs offered by Veterinary Laboratory Association and College of American Pathologists. While private diagnostic laboratories retained the EDTA blood specimens longer after initial testing, the teaching hospital laboratories retained blood smears and complete blood count reports longer. The complete blood count reports at veterinary teaching laboratories more often included red blood cell volume distribution width, mean platelet volume, manual hematocrit, plasma protein, and leukocyte differentials as absolute concentrations. The laboratory practices utilized by these veterinary medical laboratories were generally similar, and differences were attributed to divergent emphasis on economic accountability and clinical investigation.