Accepted Answer

Hello and thanks for researching this very important question!

Neutrophils are a type of White Blood Cell (WBC) that are very active when bacterial or viral infection is present in the body. Lasting Neutropenia in cats is most often associated with viral illness.

Neutrophils come up "low" in a blood count when they are either:

1) Not being manufactured at proper levels in the bone marrow OR,

2) Being called out of the circulating blood and into some infected tissue.

The value reported for you cat is considered "low" as compared to the average values seen across a wide number of pets...("normal" values do vary somewhat from lab to lab depending on how their machines work).

This number may or may not be truly "out of range" for your individual pet depending on a number of things...did something go wrong during the blood draw?...was your pet stressed-out during the blood draw?...was there an irregularity at the laboratory?, etc..

You can read very reliable information about what Neutrophils do and about Neutropenia (= "low neutrophils") here...it gets kinda technical, but is comprehensive:
Read Laboratory Information Here.

When no other blood cell count values are "out of range", it is hard to know what a low neutrophil value is telling us, and a re-test in a few weeks is the right thing to do.

What to do while you wait:

1) While email makes a lot of correspondence easier, I would call the vet's office directly by phone and ask that the lab VERIFY this value from this blood sample. Modern CBCs are often counted by a machine and subject to some errors (if cells are not distributed evenly, stick together, there is a fingerprint on the analysis tube, etc.)...verifications are usually done by a human technician who can evaluate a sample placed on a microscope slide. You have to get the vet to contact the lab before they dispose of the original sample.

2) Definintely plan to have the re-test done in a few weeks, whether with your current veterinary office or with a hospital where you are moving. This gives us a chance to see if any other cell types become active/inactive during this waiting period, and if the neutrophils do or do not rebound. If the "low" result is reproduced, you may be advised to have some other tests done to look for viral illnesses that can "hide" in a cat's body.

I know that this doesn't really alleviate your anxiety, but the recommendation to re-test and then decide how to proceed is medically appropriate. Sending another sample out before 15-20 days has passed may not reveal anything new, but having a Verification of the number you have on-hand is not an unreasonable request to make.

If you need additional support at this time, please click "Reply", otherwise I thank you in advance for your "Accept".

Expert:	GenB
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	6/8/2009

Retired Veterinary Technician

Kitten, Adult, Geriatric Cat Care Specialist/ B.A. Neurophysiology & Animal Behavior/ Plain English!