Erythrocyte abnormalities in blood smears of dogs

Abstract

Introduction. The morphological alterations of the erythrocytes are associated with variations in the size, shape, hemoglobinization and with the presence of cytoplasmic inclusions, the objective of the study was to evaluate the association of age, sex and breed with the erythrocyte alterations identified in blood smears of dogs. Methodology. The study is quantitative, cross-sectional, observational and prospective. 382 peripheral blood samples were processed through blood smears of different races, ages and sex. Results. Correlation was determined using binary logistic regression, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests. Size alterations including microcytes (9%) and macrocytes (1%) were identified; shape alterations including acanthocytes (22%), codocytes (13%), echinocytes (13%), dacryocytes (9%), stomatocytes (9%), sickle cells (2%), schistocytes (2%), and spherocytes (1 %); color alterations that included hypochromia (9%) and polychromasia (11%); distribution abnormalities including agglutination (3%) and coin cells (2%), and erythrocyte inclusions including Howell Jolly corpuscles (2%) and Heinz corpuscles (1%). Discussion. Age, sex and race did not prove to explain the presence of erythrocyte abnormalities by binary logistic regression. Some breeds were associated with erythrocyte abnormalities with Fisher's exact test (p < 0.05); These were Scottish terriers with macrocytosis, French bulldogs with sickle cells, Argentine dogo and pit bulls with coin cells, Labrador retrievers with Heinz corpuscles and Howell Jolly corpuscles. However, these alterations can occur in various conditions, the literature is insufficient to rule out that these associations are due to coincidences due to the conditions of the study.