You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Interpretation of laboratory results is complex if the sample has been collected from an animal that is on treatment with corticosteroids, or that has high concentrations of naturally produced corticosteroids in the blood (as in hyperadrenocorticism)

Corticosteroids have many effects on the body  which may create a wide range of abnormal laboratory findings including the following :

• Hematology :
  • Increased monocyte count
  • Increased neutrophil count (adult and band neutrophils)- most marked in dogs; often after an initial injection of the drug
  • Increased packed cell volume (PCV) - usually slight
  • Increased platelet count
  • Increased white blood cell count (WBC)
  • Decreased eosinophil count
  • Decreased lymphocyte count
  • Production of Howell-Jolly bodies - in dog red blood cells
• Blood Chemistry :
  • Increased Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
  • Increased Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) - in dogs, but not in cats
  • Increased Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
  • Increased bile acids
  • Increased glucose
  • Increased Insulin
  • Increased lipase - sometimes
  • Increased or Decreased Amylase
  • Decreased calcium
  • Decreased endogenous cortisol
  • Decreased inorganic phosphorus
  • Decreased Thyroxine hormone
• Urinalysis
  • Acidic urine

Veterinary clinicians should be aware of these effects and take them into consideration when interpreting laboratory results.

Last updated : January 2016