Is it bad to have high red blood cells?

Is it bad to have high red blood cells?

Potential complications of polycythemia vera are increased levels of circulating red blood cells, which increase the thickness or viscosity of the blood. This can be associated with higher risk of thrombus or clot formation leading to strokes, heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, and possibly death.

What does high blood count mean?

By Mayo Clinic Staff. A high white blood cell count usually indicates: An increased production of white blood cells to fight an infection. A reaction to a drug that increases white blood cell production. A disease of bone marrow, causing abnormally high production of white blood cells.

What causes high red blood cell count in dogs?

Causes of High Red Blood Cell Count in Dog 1 Vomiting 2 Diarrhea 3 Reduced water consumption 4 Kidney disease 5 Hyperventilation

What does a high red blood cell count mean?

A high red blood cell count means the number of red blood cells in your bloodstream is higher than normal. Normal red blood cell counts are: For men, 4.7 to 6.1 million red blood cells per microliter of blood For women, 4.2 to 5.4 million red blood cells per microliter of blood

What is the function of red blood cells in dogs?

Red Blood Cells of Dogs. The main function of red blood cells (also called erythrocytes) is to carry oxygen to the tissues, where it is required for cellular metabolism.

What happens when there are too many red blood cells?

A healthy animal should hallways have a constant number of red blood cells circulating in his system. This means his oxygen carrying capacity should always be constant as well. When there are too many red blood cells in circulation, it is referred to as polycythemia. Bone marrow is what produces red blood cells and releases them into circulation.

What causes low RBC in dogs?

In dogs, the low red blood cell count may be caused by: Kidney failure may also cause a low RBC, due to the fact that the kidneys produce erythropoietin , which is a hormone that stimulates the activity of the bone marrow.

What causes low WBC in dogs?

Bacterial infections are the most common cause of a low white blood cell count in dogs. Other causes include: Fungal infections such as histoplasmosis . Histoplasmosis is common in Mississippi, Missouri, and the Ohio River Valley areas.

What is the normal RBC for a dog?

If the dog’s body requires a high amount of new red blood cells, the bone marrow will send immature red blood cells (also known as reticulocytes). The normal values of RBC count in canines are between 5.6 and 8.7 x 10 6 per microliter of blood.

What causes low lymphocytes in dogs?

Less reliably low numbers (lymphopenia) occurs early in parvovirus and distemper infection in dogs and in panleukopenia of cats or after prolonged periods of stress. Your pet’s blood lymphocyte numbers can also go down when lymphocytes are lost into retained fluids (chylothorax) and in immune system malfunctions.