Evaluation and Clinical Application of Platelet Function Testing in Small Animal Practice

Tests that evaluate many aspects of platelet function have been applied in both human and veterinary medicine to monitor treatment with platelet function inhibitors and detect platelet function abnormalities. Interspecies variation in the response to various platelet agonists is an important consideration when methods developed for people are applied in other species. Many of these assays are not available in standard veterinary practice. Advanced platelet function testing for veterinary patients is offered at select academic institutions. Discussion with a specialist is recommended when considering the use of these tests, and their relative strengths and limitations should be considered in interpretation of test results.