It’s in the blood

 disease. While testing a blood sample can never replace a full veterinary examination it can provide important information to help diagnose a problem.

The results of an individual blood test are usually compared with normal ranges taken from horses of a similar age and type. Tests are logically grouped into profiles relating to the particular investigation.

A standard profile for a performance horse might include a complete blood count, inflammatory proteins and muscle enzymes. The results can help to identify horses with compromised health that may not be performing to their optimum potential.

Other abnormalities a blood test can detect include:

Inflammation – indicated by an increase in white cells.Anaemia – diagnosed by a decrease in red blood cells. In horses this is most likely to suggest an underlying disease process such as infection as opposed iron deficiency.Damage to the gut or kidneys or in some cases malnutrition may be revealed by low protein in the blood.

Instant results

Some vets can offer a point-of-care diagnostic blood test that can provide critical information related to equine inflammation in 10 minutes. A special hand-held reader can detect and quantify the biomarker Serum Amyloid A (SAA), a major, acute phase protein produced by the liver that rapidly and dramatically increases in response to inflammation. By measuring SAA, vets can assess the severity of an infection more quickly, often before clinical symptoms start and are able to monitor the horse’s response over the course of treatment.

Did you know?

The average 550kg horse has around 55 litres of blood (12.3 gallons).

Hot blooded horses such as the Thoroughbred have more around 15 ml more blood per kilo of bodyweight than cold bloods such as the Percheron.

A 550kg horse may lose up to 10% of its blood before showing signs of shock from blood loss.