Table 69-3.
LABORATORY FINDINGS IN INTESTINAL DISEASE
| Abnormal Laboratory Findings | Clinical Associations |
|---|---|
| Hematologic Findings | |
| Eosinophilia | Parasitism, eosinophilic enteritis, hypoadrenocorticism, mast cell tumor |
| Neutrophilia | Bowel inflammation, necrosis, or neoplasia |
| Neutropenia or “toxic” neutrophils | Parvovirus, FeLV, FIV, endotoxemia, or overwhelming sepsis (e.g., leakage peritonitis) |
| Monocytosis | Chronic or granulomatous inflammation (e.g., mycosis) |
| Lymphopenia | Loss of lymphocytes associated with intestinal lymphangiectasia |
| Anemia | GI blood loss, depressed erythropoiesis (chronic inflammation, neoplasia, malnutrition) |
| Elevated PCV | Hemoconcentration from GI fluid loss |
| RBC microcytosis | Iron deficiency (chronic GI blood loss), portosystemic shunt |
| RBC macrocytosis | RBC regeneration, feline hyperthyroidism, FeLV, nutritional deficiencies (rare) |
| Serum Biochemical Findings | |
| Panhypoproteinemia | Protein-losing enteropathy |
| Hyperglobulinemia | Chronic immune stimulation, basenji enteropathy |
| Azotemia | Dehydration (prerenal), primary renal failure |
| Hypokalemia | GI loss of fluid and electrolytes, anorexia |
| Hyperkalemia/hyponatremia | Hypoadrenocorticism, trichuriasis (rare) |
| Hypocalcemia | Hypoalbuminemia, lymphangiectasia, pancreatitis |
| Hypocholesterolemia | Lymphangiectasia, liver disease |
| Elevated liver enzymes or bile acids | Liver disease |
| Elevated amylase/lipase | Pancreatitis, enteritis, or azotemia |
| Elevated thyroxine (T4) | Feline hyperthyroidism |
FeLV, feline leukemia virus; FIV, feline immunodeficiency virus; GI, gastrointestinal; PCV, packed cell volume; RBC, red blood cell.