Skip to main content
  • Published:

Thrombocytes, Leucocytes and Packed Red Cell Volume in Piglets During the First two Weeks of Life

Summary

Number of platelets, leucocytes and packed red cell volume (PGV) have been determined in normal piglets during the first 2 weeks of life.

A mean platelet count of 337 ± 79 at birth decreased during the first 2 days to 241 ± 48, followed by increasing numbers the next week to a maximum of 578 ±128 at 10 days after birth. Then a slight decrease to 492 ±115 on the 15th day was observed.

The leucocyte counts were highest the first 30 hrs. of life, the mean count being 16.9. During this period, however, there was as wide a range as from 3.6 to 46.3. For the rest of the period the mean varied from 8.0 to 11.8, the counts ranging from 4.5 to 20.0.

The mean PGV, which was highest at birth, decreased from a mean of 40.8 ± 6.1 to 32.9 ± 5.0 during the first 2 days. At 7 days of age the mean was 31.5 ± 3.8 but increased during the following week to 39.9 ± 3.6 on the 15th day.

References

  • Frazer, A. C.: A study of the blood of pigs. Brit. vet. J. 1938, 94, 3–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardiner, M. R., W. L. Sippel & W. C. McCornick: The blood picture in newborn pigs. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1953, 14, 68–71.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kernkamp, H. C. H.: The blood picture of pigs kept under conditions favorable to the production and to the prevention of so-called “Anemia of suckling pigs”. Minnesota agric. exp. Sta. tech. Bull. 1932, 86, 32 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luke, D.: The differential leucocyte count in the normal pig. J. comp. Path. 1953, 63, 346–354.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nygaard, K. K.: Direct method of counting platelets in oxalated plasma. Proc. Mayo Clin. 1933, 8, 365–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schalm, O. W.: Veterinary Hematology. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia 1961, p. 190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venn, J. A.J.: Variation in the leucocyte count in the pig. J. comp. Path. 1944, 54, 172–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wintrobe, M. M.: Clinical Hematology, 5th Ed. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia 1961, p. 244.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lie, H. Thrombocytes, Leucocytes and Packed Red Cell Volume in Piglets During the First two Weeks of Life. Acta Vet Scand 9, 105–111 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547876

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547876