Keywords
Abstract
Thrombocytopenia is defined by a reduced number of platelets, a laboratory abnormality frequently detected in veterinary medicine. Platelets participate in the coagulation process, their low quantity or inefficiency can cause bleeding and hemostatic disorders. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the frequency and causes of thrombocytopenia in dogs treated between 2019 and 2023 at the “Roque Quagliato” Veterinary Medical Center in Ourinhos-SP. A retrospective study was carried out on dogs with true thrombocytopenia in the blood count at the first hospital visit. The blood count was performed using a veterinary automated cell counter, using optical microscopy by evaluating the stained blood smear, determining the globular volume using micro-hematocrit and the total plasma protein content using refractometry. 4,890 blood counts of patients treated during the period were evaluated, of which 511 had thrombocytopenia and 246 returned for reassessment. The most common cause of thrombocytopenia was canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (278/511), sometimes in co-infection with anaplasmosis, followed by patients who had a recent history of trauma and bleeding (95/511). Another 48/511 were diagnosed with neoplasms, with a higher frequency of lymphoma (12/511), transmissible venereal tumor (6/511), carcinoma and mast cell tumor (5/511), while 90/511 dogs presented an inconclusive diagnosis with non-specific clinical signs. It is concluded that the main cause of thrombocytopenia in dogs treated at the “Roque Quagliato” Veterinary Medical Center in Ourinhos-SP is infection by Ehrlichia spp., as well as the occurrence of traumatic injuries, important factors to be taken into consideration when approaching the thrombocytopenia of dogs in the region.