VTNE Critical Care Practice Test 2025 - Free VTNE Critical Care Practice Questions and Study Guide

Low reticulocyte percentages indicate a non-regenerative anemia. This observation signifies that the bone marrow is not producing enough red blood cells to replace the loss, which can be the result of various underlying conditions. In cats, this could be due to factors such as chronic diseases, certain infections, or even iron deficiency.

When a cat is experiencing non-regenerative anemia, it often presents a stable but low-level anemia, as opposed to regenerative anemia where the body actively responds to blood loss by increasing production of reticulocytes. Therefore, in the context of a cat with low reticulocyte percentages, the presence of non-regenerative anemia is clearly indicated.

The other types of shock are more closely associated with acute or drastic changes in blood volume, cardiac function, or vascular resistance, which typically result in the body showing an active compensatory response rather than a lack of regenerative capacity in the bone marrow. Sad to say, the conditions associated with hypovolemic, cardiogenic, or distributive shock would not typically show low reticulocyte counts but could present different clinical signs and laboratory findings.