Hematologic values in healthy neonatal, weanling, and juvenile kittens

Blood samples were taken by jugular venipuncture from healthy kittens ranging in age from birth to 17 weeks. Complete blood cell counts, including RBC indices, provided data on reference blood values in kittens. Age-dependent RBC changes observed were decreases in PCV and hemoglobin (Hb) and mean cell Hb concentrations in neonatal kittens and a subsequent increase in PCV, Hb concentration, and RBC count in juvenile kittens. Leukocyte changes included an increasing WBC count from birth through the weanling period, increases in lymphocyte numbers in the neonatal and juvenile age groups, and increases in eosinophil numbers in the juvenile period.