My dog's bloodwork is low, but vet isn't concerned. Should I worry?

Question

Spike is age 12. Bloodwork today was hematocrit 33.9, hemoglobin 12.0, MCV 57.8, MCH 20.4 . My vet is not concerned about these numbers . It’s confusing to me when I look up why it’s low on internet. Please let me know if you think I should be concerned with these numbers? Thank you. Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund miniature | Male | neutered | 16 lbs

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

We use blood tests in combination with clinical exams and thresults of the latter, and clinical signs in order to assess a condition. the result of this assessment then determines whether we need to treat. That said, if your dog has no relevant clinical signs of illness, these numbers are not concerning. The MCV and MCH are parameters which reflect the amount of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. His hematocrit is relatively normal. Normal values vary per laboratory, and his hemoglobin corresponds with the hematocrit as well as the MCV and MCH. Really, for an old dog like Spike , these results by themselves are not worrisome. And since your vet is not concerned, apparently there are no clinical signs of disease that would make these values significant.

My dog's bloodwork is low, but vet isn't concerned. Should I worry?

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