Myelogram in laboratorial routine for the dog’s clinic

Abstract

The myelogram corresponds to the bone marrow evaluation and it represents an important resource in the dog’s clinics to determinate alterations in the blood circulation. Its basis is the assessment of bone marrow, which in adults is mainly present in flat bones such as the sternum and ribs, and its main function is hematopoiesis, the production of blood cells, which are red blood cells, leukocytes (granulocytes - neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils, agranulocytes - monocytes and lymphocytes) and platelets. The myelogram requires the correct collection of the bone marrow, and its analysis involves the assessment of cellularity, determination of the Myeloid:Erythroid ratio, assessment of iron reserves and research for parasites, the most common in canine species being Leishmania spp. and Ehrlichia spp. The search for alterations in the bone marrow is usually done when the patient has hematological abnormalities that are not explained by other routine tests. Its analysis and interpretation help the veterinarian to reach the correct diagnosis for the patient.