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Peritoneal Fluid Analysis on Intraoperative Samples in 32 Clinically Healthy Female Companion Pigs and Transabdominal
Deanna M W Schaefer1, Joe S Smith2, Pierre-Yves Mulon2
1Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
Veterinary Clinical Pathology
|March 30, 2026
Summary
Peritoneal fluid analysis in companion pigs reveals that elevated neutrophil percentages, not just cell count, can indicate peritonitis or neoplasia. This finding is crucial for diagnosing abdominal conditions in pigs.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Comparative Pathology
- Animal Laboratory Diagnostics
Background:
- Limited published data exists on normal peritoneal fluid (PTF) laboratory findings in companion pigs.
- Establishing reference values for PTF analysis is essential for accurate veterinary diagnostics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize routine peritoneal fluid analysis results in clinically healthy companion pigs.
- To describe peritoneal fluid findings in companion pigs with various clinical conditions, including peritonitis and neoplasia.
Main Methods:
- Prospective collection of intraoperative PTF from 32 healthy companion sows.
- Retrospective analysis of PTF from 10 clinically ill companion pigs with conditions such as peritonitis, uterine neoplasia, renal disease, or DIC.
- Analysis included total nucleated cell concentration (TNCC), total protein (TP-ref), and nucleated cell differentials.
Main Results:
- Healthy pigs typically had PTF TNCC <10,000/μL and TP-ref <6.0 g/dL, with a predominance of mononuclear cells.
- Pigs with peritonitis or uterine neoplasia often showed similar TNCC but higher neutrophil percentages (>50%) and lower mononuclear cell percentages (<25%).
- Elevated TP-ref was observed in some pigs with peritonitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
Conclusions:
- Increased neutrophil proportions in companion pig PTF, irrespective of TNCC, may suggest peritonitis or abdominal neoplasia.
- Unlike some other species, high neutrophil percentages in pig PTF warrant further investigation for serious abdominal pathology.
- These findings provide critical diagnostic insights for peritoneal fluid analysis in companion pigs.
