Table 1.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for dogs and cats of the study. The number of animals excluded by each criterion is shown between parentheses.

Group	Inclusion Criteria	Exclusion Criteria (Dogs//Cats)
Healthy	-Normal anamnesis and physical examination. -CBC and biochemistry panel within reference ranges.	-Delayed CBC after blood collection (>6 h) (151 dogs//101 cats). -Marked lipemia and/or hemolysis (35 dogs//10 cats). -Previous blood transfusion (<30 days) (17 dogs//1 cat). -Younger than 3 months (45 dogs//4 cats). -Greyhound, Shar Pei, Chow Chow, Akita and Shiba Inu (79 dogs//0 cats).
AID	-Evidence (gastroenteritis, peritonitis) or suspicion (fever, leukocytosis) of an acute (<1 week of evolution) inflammatory disease.	-All of those mentioned in the healthy group (327 dogs//116 cats). -Anemia (of any type). -Leukopenia (10 dogs//2 cats).
CHA	-Non-regenerative anemia with evidence of chronic blood loss (diagnosis of anemia due to gastrointestinal hemorrhage, thrombocytopenia, trauma, surgery, chronic hematuria, or internal bleeding).	-All of those mentioned in the healthy group (327 dogs//116 cats). -Doubtful classification between groups (209 dogs//91 cats). -Evidence of renal disease (41 dogs//34 cats). -Evidence or suspicion (concurrent leukopenia) of bone marrow failure (20 dogs//22 cats). -Evidence of hemolysis (29 dogs//12 cats).
ACI	-Non-regenerative anemia with evidence (peritonitis, pancreatitis, pneumonia, systemic infection) or suspicion (fever, leukocytosis) of a chronic inflammatory disease.

ACI, anemia of chronic inflammation; AID, acute inflammatory disease; CHA, chronic hemorrhagic anemia.