Reptile & Amphibian Forums

what does a low reading of absolute neutrophil mean? my cat had a bloodtest and this value came back lower than normal. she wants me to retest it in 2 months to make sure it's back to normal.

by the way,thanks for all the advice you've given me!

thanks,

Lisa

Neutrophils are the white blood cells that make up most of pus; they fight bacteria. A low neutrophil count may mean that your cat has a very recent infection, drawing down the supply of circulating neutrophils, or that there is a problem with the bone marrow making neutrophils, or that your cat is so healthy that few bacteria are present and neutrophils aren't needed. The physical condition of your cat should give you a clue as to the reason.

He hasn't had an infection or anything, but he has had low WBC values in that past. Does absolute neutrophil correlate with WBC values? His most recent bloodwork showed normal WBC values though. I don't mind retesting, but he gets so stressed out at the vet's office that he typically has diarrhea for a few days afterwards, so I don't want to needlessly retest him since he's acting normal and seems healthy!

Neutrophils are one type of WBC, so if the neutrophil count is low, this would tend to reduce the WBC. This may simply be the norm for your cat, especially if he is in no way sick. A good way to boost his immune system, though it may have no effect on his neutrophil count, is to give him echinacea daily.