Some Conditions Associated with Variations in Circulating Oestrogens—Blood Picture Alterations

Abstract

Five conditions all associated with variations in the circulating oestrogen/progesterone ratio have been investigated to find out what changes occur in the peripheral blood picture. These five conditions are oestrus periods, pregnancy, false pregnancy, pyometra and mammary tumours.False pregnancy causes no change in the blood picture and oestrus periods only minor variations. No change is seen in cases of mammary tumours unless necrosis or widespread metastases are present in which case neutrophilia and a shift to the left occurs.Pregnancy gives rise to marked changes in the blood picture, changes which can be used as an aid to the diagnosis of pregnancy in some cases. Pyometra also gives rise to major fluctuations in the peripheral blood pictures.Any changes which occur are unrelated to the amount of circulating hormone. They are related to physical changes such as increase in foetal size, necrosis of tumours or degenerative and inflammatory reactions within the uterus.

Blood calcium, glucose and haematology profiles of parturient bitches diagnosed with uterine inertia or obstructive dystocia

“…We also observed mature neutrophilia in all ten bitches that had differential WBC count. Our results are in agreement with the study of Doxey (Doxey, ), in which increasing neutrophil and WBC counts were reported during pregnancy and peaked at the time of normal whelping in 13 bitches. Thrombocytosis, leukocytosis and neutrophilia without left shift is probably the result of the predominantly inflammatory environment at the time of parturition, characterized by increases in prostaglandins and cortisol and decreased P4 concentrations (Concannon, Butler, Hansel, Knight, & Hamilton, ; Concannon, Isaman, Frank, Michel, & Currie, ; Kowalewski et al., ).…”

“…microhaematocrit tube, blood gas or haematology analyser). Thrombocytosis as well as changes in blood coagulation factors in preparation for delivery have been shown in normal pregnant and parturient bitches (Doxey, ; Gentry & Liptrap, ; Mattoso, Takahira, Beier, Araujo, & Corrente, ), and our finding of more than half of the bitches having high platelet counts is similar to that report. High platelet counts, which exceeded the upper limit of the reference range by up to 43%, were detected during the last 2 weeks of pregnancy also by another group (Kimberely et al., ).…”

“…Haematocrit and haemoglobin values slightly below our in‐house reference interval were found in 14% and 23% of our bitches, respectively. This common finding in pregnant dogs (Concannon, ; Doxey, ; Tietz et al., ) is known under the term of pregnancy‐associated anaemia (Verstegen‐Onclin & Verstegen, ) and is due to disproportion between erythrocyte volume and the gestation‐induced increased plasmatic volume (Concannon, ; Verstegen‐Onclin & Verstegen, ). In a recent large‐scale study (De Cramer et al., ), mean Ht values measured before elective Caesarean section were in the lower reference range (44.2 ± 4.2%), which is similar to our result (45.3 ± 5.9%).…”

“…Canine pregnancy results in changes of the haematology profile including anaemia, which is represented by substantial decreases in packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentrations and red blood cell count (Concannon, 1986;Doxey, 1966;Kimberely, Casal, O'Donnell, & Haskins, 2006;Tietz, Benjamin, & Angleton, 1967). Pregnancyassociated anaemia is most likely due to haemodilution caused by plasma volume expansion (Concannon, 1986;Verstegen-Onclin & Verstegen, 2008).…”

Influence of progesterone and pregnancy on canine fibrinogen values

“…During pregnancy, changes in blood coagulation parameters have been noted in several domestic species (Doxey, 1966;Penick et al, 1966;Hall, 1972;Gentry & Liptrap, 1977;Gentry et al, 1979). In the dog these changes are characterized by an increase in procoagulant activity.…”