Veterinary Laboratory Medicine

Veterinary Laboratory Medicine covers all aspects of basic clinical biochemistry and haematology, and includes test-by-test interpretation of laboratory results. Information is provided on sampling techniques, the selection and use of an external laboratory, as well as near-patient testing and the practice laboratory. Also included are step-by-step instructions for most commonly used point-of-care tests, a guide to the evaluation of instruments for in-practice use, and a detailed explanation of the principles of impedance counting and photometric analysis. The book will be ideal for practitioners who require a guide to laboratory work, and for veterinary students studying laboratory medicine and clinical pathology. The second edition has been fully updated to reflect advances in diagnostic techniques, and includes new chapters on diagnostic endocrinology and feline virus testing as well as a much expanded chapter on diagnostic profiling and pattern recognition.

Introduction vii Part I: Haematology 1 The Red Blood Cells (Erythrocytes) 3 2 The Platelets (Thrombocytes) and the Coagulation Factors 35 3 The White Blood Cells (Leucoytes) 49 Part II: Clinical Biochemistry Introduction to Clinical Biochemistry 69 4 The Plasma Proteins 73 5 The Electrolytes 81 6 The Minerals 91 7 The Nitrogenous Substances 101 8 Carbohydrate Metabolism 111 9 Bilirubin and Fat Metabolism 127 10 Clinical Enzymology – Plasma Enzymes in Diagnosis 135 11 Diagnosis Endocrinology 149 12 Non-Blood Body Fluids 169 13 Feline Virus Testing 181 Part III: Systematic Invesigation 14 Investigation on an Individual Organ Basis 199 15 Diagnosis Profiling and Pattern Recognition 209 Part IV: Practical Laboratory Medicine 16 Sample collection and Use of External Laboratories 243 17 Side-Room Testing in the Veterinary Practice 275 18 The ‘Practice Laboratory’ 307 Suggested Further Reading 355 Index 357