Platelet concentration and hemoglobin function in greyhounds

Hematologic characteristics of 36 Greyhounds were studied and compared with characteristics of 22 non-Greyhound controls. Fourteen of the Greyhounds were tested and found to be seronegative for Ehrlichia canis and Babesia canis. Compared with the non-Greyhounds, Greyhounds had higher mean hemoglobin concentration, PCV, mean corpuscular volume, and mean cellular hemoglobin, and lower mean RBC count, hemoglobin P50 value, Hill coefficient, platelet count, and total plasma protein concentration. The lower mean hemoglobin P50 value in Greyhounds suggested that the higher mean hemoglobin concentration and PCV were not solely a result of selective breeding for superior racing abilities, but that Greyhound hemoglobin may have a greater affinity for oxygen than does the hemoglobin of non-Greyhounds.