Hematological referential interval of clinically healthy canines in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil

Canines are dispersed around the world, adapting physiologically to regional climatic variations, which can trigger an amplitude in the variability of referential clinical and laboratory aspects. Thus, we aim to determine the hematological reference interval for clinically healthy dogs located in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil. The retrospective study was carried out between February and June 2018 with complete blood count data from 126 healthy dogs with no predilection for sex, breed, and age, selected on the basis of visits for elective castration and ovariohysterectomy. The data set for defining the reference population range was obtained with a confidence interval (90%) using a robust statistical method. The study showed that there was no statistically significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) for hematological parameters between sex, breeds, and age. However, the average assessments of red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, hematimetric indices, and lymphocytes were lower in animals younger than 1 year when compared to other age groups. This finding makes the hematological reference values available in a regionalized manner, adding greater precision in the diagnosis and therapeutic follow-up of clinically healthy canines in the northeast region of Brazil.