Why are my racehorse's platelets low? How can I raise them?

Question

racehorse blood test always showing very low PLT reading 25-40, i know normal reading >100. what is reason? what to do to help raise PLT. HGB 16 PCV 45. Pet's info: Farm Animal | Horse | Male | 3 years and 10 months old | 1000 lbs

Jacqueline Nobles, DVM, DACVECC · Accepted Answer

First, you need to make sure the low platelet count is real by having a blood smear performed by your veterinarian. Blood clots leading to platelet clumping and can result in falsely low platelets. If the manual count done using a blood smear is normal, then I would not worry as this means the blood machine results were inaccurate. If the platelet count is low on the manual count, then you need to have him tested for causes of a low platelet count including infections such as equine piroplasmosis. If he is currently on any drugs such as phenylbutazone or banamine consider stopping them. If the aforementioned plan fails to identify the cause, you should have your horse evaluated by an equine veterinary specialist for further diagnostic testing.

Why are my racehorse's platelets low? How can I raise them?

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