Plasma erythropoietin concentrations in dogs and cats: reference values and changes with anaemia and/or chronic renal...

Reference ranges of plasma erythropoietin concentration measured by immunoassay in 67 healthy cats and 40 healthy dogs were 1.9 to 22.9 mU ml-1 and 1.3 to 13.4 mU ml-1 respectively. Very significant increases of plasma erythropoietin concentration were observed in 22 cats and 32 dogs with anaemia without chronic renal failure (CRF), but 35 cats and 37 dogs with CRF had normal or moderately reduced erythropoietin concentrations. In cats there was almost no overlap of erythropoietin between the groups but in dogs there was a significant overlap. The measurement of plasma erythropoietin is therefore probably more useful in the diagnosis of anaemia in cats than in dogs, either with or without CRF.