Hematology and hemostasis in the horse: normal functions and common abnormalities

In diseased animals, laboratory evaluations of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and hemostasis provide important information that contributes to either narrowing the list of potential diagnoses or to determining a specific diagnosis. To adequately interpret the results of these evaluations, normal erythrocyte and leukocyte kinetics and normal hemostatic function must be understood. In addition, knowledge of common diseases resulting in abnormalities of these laboratory tests and of typical changes in these tests caused by these diseases is vital. This article has reviewed normal erythrocyte and leukocyte kinetics and normal hemostatic functions that are clinically significant and has described the laboratory abnormalities expected in common diseases affecting these functions.