Reticulocytes
Blood count (CBC) ·Also called: RETIC, reticulocyte count, young red cells, regenerative response
What it is
Reticulocytes still carry remnants of the machinery a developing cell uses to make haemoglobin, which is what lets a stain or an analyser pick them out. In a healthy animal only a small trickle is in circulation at any moment.
Why your vet measures it
An anaemia with a high reticulocyte count is regenerative — the marrow is working, and the cause is usually loss or destruction somewhere in the body. An anaemia with a low count is non-regenerative, which shifts attention to the kidneys, the marrow itself, or chronic disease. The two lead down completely different diagnostic paths.
What a high result can mean
- Ongoing or recent blood loss that the marrow is replacing
- Destruction of red cells, as in immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia
- Recovery after treatment of the underlying cause — a good sign on a recheck
What a low result can mean
- Chronic kidney disease, where the hormone signal to the marrow is reduced
- Bone marrow disease, including FeLV-related marrow suppression in cats
- Anaemia of chronic inflammation
- Very recent blood loss — it takes roughly three to five days for a response to become visible
Dogs and cats differ
Cats produce two kinds of reticulocyte. Only the aggregate form indicates a current response; punctate reticulocytes linger for weeks and can make an old, resolved anaemia look active. Feline reports usually specify which was counted, and dogs have no such distinction.
Questions worth asking your vet
- Is my pet's anaemia regenerative or non-regenerative?
- If the anaemia is recent, is it too early for a response to show?
- For a cat: were aggregate or punctate reticulocytes counted?
Related terms
See this value explained on your pet's own report
Upload the lab report or X-ray and get every value explained in the context of your own dog or cat — in minutes.
Explain my pet's results