Horse red cells are similar to those of cats with

regard to size and degree of anisocytosis.

Compared to other species, horse red cells have
a marked tendency to form rouleaux.

Polychromatophilic red cells are absent in

blood of non-anemic horses, and are rare even
in blood of horses with regenerative anemia.

Equine platelets are smooth discs with faint

granules. Platelet size is small and uniform.

Immature erythrocytes (avian)

All of the cells in this field are of the erythroid series. A

more rounded shape and blue to polychromatophilic
cytoplasm are characteristic of immature RBC's. This patient
had regenerative anemia of undetermined cause.

Legend: a- basophilic rubricytes; b- polychromatophilic

rubricytes; c- polychromatophilic red cells (reticulocytes); d-
mature red cells.

Avian Blood Cells

Some of the blood cells of non-mammalian vertebrates are very different from mammalian cells in form
but have comparable functions. The heterophil is the avian equivalent of the neutrophil. Heterophils in
birds have segmented nuclei that are partly obscured by the large red-orange granules that pack the
cytoplasm.Mature granules are avian fusiform and many are slightly refractile. Immature heterophils have
rounder granules and slightly blue cytoplasm. Avian eosinophils are slightly smaller than heterophils and
their granules are round and a slightly different shade of orange. The granules of eosinophils in psittacine
birds are light blue. Examples of these two types of avian eosinophils are shown here. The eosinophil on
the left is from an African gray parrot and has large globular blue granules; the arrow points to the
nucleus. Avian basophils contain many small purple granules, similar to basophils of some mammals.
Avian lymphocytes and monocytes are similar to mammalian cells.

Mature red cells in birds are large oval cells that contain oval nuclei. Immature red cells are rounder, have
less oval to round nuclei, and polychromatophilic cytoplasm. Polychromatophilic red cells are fairly
numerous in some avian species in the absence of anemia. The thrombocyte is the functional equivalent of
the mammalian platelet. Thrombocytes in birds are small cells with round nucleus, very condensed
chromatin, and small rim of gray cytoplasm. A few red granules are visible in some thrombocytes. Partial
activation results in clumping of thrombocytes.