We have recently seen a number of cases of iron deficiencyanaemia, both in cats and dogs. In iron deficiency, red cells donot develop the normal complement of iron’containing haemoglobinand the cells that form in the bone marrow are smallmicrocytic, low MCV and hypochromic low MCH and MCHC. Theprocess of red cell maturation becomes prolonged so young redcells no longer contain large amounts of RNA and therefore donot appear polychromatic. As a result the anaemia is non-regenerative, with inappropropriately low reticulocyte counts.There is often a marked increase in variation in red cell shapepoikilocytosis and red cell fragments schistocytes are oftenseen, as above. In cats, the red cells are often so small thatplatelets appear larger than red cells and this overlap insizing can contribute to apparently very high platelet counts assome automated counters include some small red cells in theplatelet count. Iron deficiency anaemia reflects chronicexternal blood lo…

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