Brachycephalic dogs are prone to a conformation-related respiratory disorder known as brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Due to its systemic consequences, BOAS should be considered a systemic disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), and plateletcrit (PCT) in patients with various grades of BOAS and non-brachycephalic dogs. The latter served as a control group. We included 106 patients with BOAS and 41 non-brachycephalic dogs. According to the severity of the disease, BOAS patients were classified into grade 1 (17 dogs), grade 2 (42 dogs), and grade 3 (47 dogs). Thrombocytosis was found in 46% (49/106) of all BOAS patients. High platelet mass was found in 62% (66/106) of all BOAS patients. We found significantly (P < 0.05) higher PLT, MPV, and PCT in BOAS patients of all grades compared to non-brachycephalic dogs. However, further studies are needed to clarify the role of PLT and platelet indices in BOAS and their relationship with inflammation and hypercoagulability.
Keywords: brachycephaly; haematology; mean platelet volume; plateletcrit; platelets.
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