Practical Matters: Recheck low platelet counts in asymptomatic patients
In all the cases mentioned above, the animals had no clinical signs of thrombocytopenia. With these patients in mind, my advice is if an animal has signs of spontaneous bleeding (petechia, hematuria, hematochezia or melena, prolonged bleeding from venipuncture sites), believe the first low platelet count and take appropriate action. But if an animal has no clinical signs of thrombocytopenia, recheck the platelet count before performing an extensive workup or initiating treatment. Recheck the platelet count quickly (the next day if possible) because the consequences of waiting too long to treat a patient with thrombocytopenia are potentially severe. If a laboratory is not immediately available, a high-quality blood smear read in-house by an experienced person can provide inexpensive, rapid confirmation of severe thrombocytopenia.
Todd Deppe, DVM, DACVIM (internal medicine)