Hematology and Blood Disorders

Veterinary hematology is extremely interesting, because there are marked species differences in hematopoietic cells. For example, birds, amphibians and reptiles have nucleated erythrocytes and platelets (called thrombocytes), which makes assessment of their blood far more challenging than those of mammals.

Subsequently animals cannot speak for themselves; we use their blood as a window into their bodies. Abnormalities in the blood can afford clues as to the presence of underlying disease (e.g. inflammation) and can be diagnostic in it, e.g. can reveal leukemia.