Blood Protozoa (Blood Parasite Smear)
Blood Protozoa (Blood Parasite Smear) looks at a stained drop of blood under the microscope for tick-borne and other blood parasites. It is used in dogs, cats, cows and buffaloes with fever, weakness or anaemia.
- Sample
- Whole blood (EDTA)
- Quantity
- 2 mL
- Report
- Same day to 24 hours
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Babesia in red blood cells (dogs, cows and buffaloes)
- Theileria in blood cells (cows and buffaloes)
- Anaplasma in red blood cells (cows and buffaloes)
- Trypanosoma, the parasite behind surra (dogs, cows and buffaloes)
- Hepatozoon in white blood cells (dogs)
- Mycoplasma haemofelis on red blood cells (cats)
- Red cell changes that suggest anaemia
Benefits of this test
- Shows the parasite directly under the microscope.
- Needs only a small blood sample.
- Can show which kind of blood parasite is present, which guides your vet's next step.
- Also shows red cell changes linked to anaemia on the same slide.
- Is quick and routine, so your vet can act on the result soon.
Often discussed at these ages:PuppyAdult DogAdult CatCalfBuffalo CalfAdult Horse
When your vet may advise it
- Fever that comes and goes, with weakness or loss of appetite.
- Pale gums or pale inner eyelids after tick exposure.
- Dark red or coffee-coloured urine.
- Swollen lymph glands in front of the shoulder with high fever in a cow or buffalo.
- A heavy tick load followed by weakness or a drop in milk.
- A dog or cat with fever and anaemia where a blood parasite is suspected.
About this test
Some parasites live inside blood cells or swim in the blood. Many are protozoa, which are tiny one-celled organisms. Ticks and some biting flies spread them. Babesia and Theileria live inside blood cells. Trypanosoma swims in the blood fluid. This test is a blood parasite smear, and it looks for such germs directly.
A drop of blood, kept from clotting with EDTA, is spread thinly on a glass slide, dried, stained and examined under the microscope. Parasites show up as small stained shapes in or between the blood cells. The same slide also shows the red cells, so signs of anaemia (too few red cells) may be seen at the same time.
Vets use it when a sick animal could have tick fever or a similar blood infection. A smear can miss parasites when they are few, so a negative smear does not always rule out infection. Your vet may suggest further tests and reads the result with the animal's signs.
How to prepare
Fasting is not needed, but tell your vet or the lab about any medicine already given, because it can lower the number of parasites in the blood. Bring about 2 mL of EDTA blood to the lab as soon as possible, kept in shade and never frozen, because old blood can change how cells and parasites look. This is a routine test, and the report is normally ready the same day or within 24 hours.
Reading the result
The report says whether parasites were seen and, where possible, which kind. A smear can miss parasites when they are few, so a registered veterinarian reads it with the animal's signs and may add further tests before deciding on treatment.
Questions about Blood Protozoa (Blood Parasite Smear)
Can a negative blood smear rule out tick fever?
What is the difference between this smear and a General Blood Picture?
Can this test be done for cows and buffaloes with tick fever?
How should the blood sample be sent to the lab?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Same day to 24 hours. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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Blood Protozoa (Blood Parasite Smear): Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas
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