Mycoplasma
Morphology: small blue cocci, rings, or rods on the surface of red blood cells. May be observed in the background between red blood cells (bacteria fall off of red cells… Read more Mycoplasma →
Eosinophils
Morphology: granulocyte with a segmented (often bi-lobed) nucleus and numerous pink-to-orange (eosinophilic) cytoplasmic granules. Considerable species variation in number, size, and shape of eosinophil granules. Considerable variation within and between dog… Read more Eosinophils →
Cytauxzoon felis
Morphology: small ring-shaped piroplasms with a dark eccentric nucleus inside red blood cells. Usually 1 – 2 piroplasms per red cell. Look alikes: siderocytes, Howell-jolly bodies, Babesia felis Commonly seen with: Mycoplasma haemofelis (concurrent… Read more Cytauxzoon felis →
Basophils
Morphology: granulocyte with a large irregularly lobulated nucleus, lavender-staining cytoplasm, and numerous purple (basophilic) cytoplasmic granules. Considerable species variation in appearance of basophils. Look alike: mast cells, other granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils) Clinical relevance: basophils are… Read more Basophils →
Bands (Left Shift)
Morphology: bands are immature neutrophils with an unsegmented horseshoe-shaped nucleus. Commonly seen with: toxic change Clinical relevance: left shift (↑ bands in peripheral blood) indicates inflammation. Left shift is more pronounced… Read more Bands (Left Shift) →
Toxic Change
Morphology: toxic change refers to abnormalities in the cytoplasm of neutrophils including vacuolation (clear round areas that may coalesce to create a foamy appearance), Döhle bodies (dark blue irregular granules),… Read more Toxic Change →
Babesia
Morphology: single or multiple pear-shaped (pyriform) organisms within red blood cells. Organisms stain dark purple around the periphery and clear in the centre. Look alike: Histoplasma capsulatum Commonly seen with: other tick-borne rickettsial… Read more Babesia →
Howell-Jolly Bodies
Morphology: small, round, dark purple inclusions within red blood cells. Usually only 1 per red cell. Howell-Jolly bodies are nuclear remnants (small fragments of non-functional nucleus that were not expelled… Read more Howell-Jolly Bodies →
Cells and Smears 