PLASMA ERYTHROPOIETIN CONCENTRATIONS IN DOGS AND CATS - REFERENCE VALUES AND CHANGES WITH ANEMIA AND OR CHRONIC-RENAL-FAILURE/

Reference ranges of plasma erythropoietin concentration measured by im munoassay in 67 healthy cats and 40 healthy dogs were 1.9 to 22.9 mU m l(-1) and 1.3 to 13.4 mU ml(-1) respectively. Very significant increas es of plasma erythropoietin concentration were observed in 22 cats and 32 dogs with anaemia without chronic renal failure (CRF), but 35 cats and 37 dogs with CRF had normal or moderately reduced erythropoietin concentrations. In cats there was almost no overlap of erythropoietin between the groups but in dogs there was a significant overlap. The me asurement of plasma erythropoietin is therefore probably more useful i n the diagnosis of anaemia in cats than in dogs, either with or withou t CRF.