Platelet Count
A platelet count measures the platelets, the tiny blood cell pieces that help blood to clot, and a low count may mean a bleeding risk. It is used in dogs, cats, cows and buffaloes with bleeding signs or before surgery.
- Sample
- Whole blood (EDTA)
- Quantity
- 2 mL
- Report
- Same day to 24 hours
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Number of platelets in the blood
- Whether the count is low (thrombocytopenia) or high (thrombocytosis)
- Platelet clumping that can make the count falsely low
Benefits of this test
- Shows whether bleeding signs may be linked to low platelets.
- Helps judge the risk of bleeding before surgery or a biopsy.
- Can point to a tick-borne infection when platelets are low in a dog.
- Can be repeated to follow the count over time.
- Needs only a small EDTA blood sample, often taken along with other blood tests.
When your vet may advise it
- Nose bleeds, bleeding gums, or blood in urine or stool.
- Small red or purple spots on the gums or skin, or easy bruising.
- A dog with suspected tick fever.
- Before surgery, a biopsy (a small tissue sample) or another procedure where bleeding is a risk.
- Bleeding that goes on longer than expected after a small cut.
- Follow-up of an animal that earlier had a low platelet count.
About this test
Platelets are very small pieces of cells in the blood. When a blood vessel is cut, platelets rush to the spot and stick together to plug it. They also help other clotting proteins to work. When there are too few platelets, an animal may bleed or bruise easily.
For this test, EDTA blood is mixed well and the platelets are counted. The lab may also check a stained blood smear, because platelets can clump together and make the count look lower than it really is. This is common in cat blood. A clotted blood tube cannot be counted properly.
A low platelet count is called thrombocytopenia and a high count is called thrombocytosis. Many conditions can change the count, such as tick-borne infections, immune problems and bone marrow disease. Your vet reads the count with the animal's signs and other tests.
How to prepare
Fasting is not normally required, but follow your vet's advice. The tube of EDTA blood (about 2 mL) should be turned gently several times right after drawing, so that clots do not form, and delivered the same day. Tell your vet about any bleeding you have seen; the report is normally ready the same day or within 24 hours.
Reading the result
The report gives the platelet count. A low or high count may indicate a problem, but a registered veterinarian finds the cause by using the animal's signs, a smear check and other tests.
Questions about Platelet Count
What does a low platelet count mean?
Why does the lab sometimes recheck platelets on a smear?
Is a platelet count enough to check clotting?
Does my animal need to fast, and how soon must the blood reach 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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