Grange Breakpoints to assess blood, liver and milk tests in Cattle and Sheep

Authors: Phil Rogers, Joe Larkin & Mary Munnelly [28/06/99]
Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland

| Introduction | Warning on Misinterpretation of Lab Tests | Find Lab-Test Breakpoints |

| Top | Back to Grange Blood Lab Page |

Introduction
| Top |

The following breakpoints are used at Grange to assess the status of blood-test levels, milk-iodine and liver copper levels in samples from cattle (B) and sheep (O).

The assessment categories used for most tests are:

VL = Very Low
LO = Low
ML = Marginal
NL = Normal (physiologically desirable range)
HI = High
VH = Very High

For example, the normal range for albumin (Alb) individual cattle is taken as 28-37 g/L, but is taken as 29.40-35.15 g/L for a group of cattle.

Some tests, such as the liver enzymes and bHB, have no VL, LO or ML categories, and the "normal range" is taken as from 0 to the value shown under the NL column.

Warning to Veterinarians
| Top |

Note that grossly abnormal values (VL or VH) for any of these tests arise in apparently healthy, thriving animals. Non-clinical deficiency or excess is very common in Ireland.

Veterinarians are advised NOT to diagnose animal-health problems from the lab results alone. A specific condition may be suspected if the clinical examination and / or history suggest it, and the lab tests agree with that possibility.

Definitive diagnosis, however, should be based on a clear response to specific action to correct the suspected abnormality.

Find the Breakpoints used in the Grange Lab
| Top |

Click on any test below to see the individual (1) or group (X) breakpoints used for cattle (B) and sheep (O).

Alb

Alp

Alt

Ast

B12

bHB

Ca

CK

Cu

gGT

GLDH

Glob

Glu

GPx

Hb

Lap

Mg

P

PCV

Peps

PII

Se

TP

Urea

Zn

Liver Cu

Milk I

 

 

Test

Sp

1=1 sample X=Herd B=Bulk Milk

VL

LO

ML

NL

HI

VH

Alb g/L

B

X

<18.99

-23.09

-29.39

-35.15

-40.85

>40.85

 

O

X

<18.99

-22.52

-29.39

-33.25

-39.9

>39.90

 

B

1

<18.09

-23.09

-27.99

-37

-43

>43

 

O

1

<18.09

-22.52

-27.99

-35

-42

>42

Alp U/L

B

X

 

 

 

0-1246

-1600

>1600

 

O

X

 

 

 

0-1246

-1612

>1612

 

B

1

 

 

 

0-1312

-2500

>2500

 

O

1

 

 

 

0-1312

-2000

>2000

Alt U/L

B

X

 

 

 

0-91.2

-150

>150

 

O

X

 

 

 

0-91.2

-150

>150

 

B

1

 

 

 

0-96

-200

>200

 

O

1

 

 

 

0-96

-190

>190

Ast U/L

B

X

 

 

 

0-98.8

-180

>180

 

O

X

 

 

 

0-108.7

-150

>150

 

B

1

 

 

 

0-104

-200

>200

 

O

1

 

 

 

0-114

-228

>228

B12 pmol/L

B

X

<78.00

-130

-194

-703

-1055

>1055

 

O

X

<77.70

-130

-194

-2109

-2220

>2220

 

B

1

<74.00

-130

-185

-740

-1110

>1110

 

O

1

<74.00

-130

-185

-1800

-2220

>2220

bHB mmol/L

B

X

 

 

 

0-0.95

-1.9

>1.90

 

O

X

 

 

 

0-0.95

-1.9

>1.90

 

B

1

 

 

 

0-1

-2

>2.00

 

O

1

 

 

 

0-1

-2

>2.00

Ca mmol/L

B

X

<1.71

-1.84

-2.1

-2.85

-3.33

>3.33

 

O

X

<1.97

-2.13

-2.5

-3.09

-3.75

>3.75

 

B

1

<1.63

-1.84

-1.99

-3

-3.5

>3.50

 

O

1

<1.88

-2.13

-2.38

-3.25

-3.75

>3.75

CK U/L

B

X

 

 

 

0-114

-240

>240

 

O

X

 

 

 

0-104

-250

>250

 

B

1

 

 

 

0-120

-300

>300

 

O

1

 

 

 

0-109

-200

>200

Cu umol/L

B

X

<7.05

-8.78

-10.71

-19.39

-25.36

>25.36

 

O

X

<7.05

-8.62

-10.36

-19.39

-25.36

>25.36

 

B

1

<6.42

-8.78

-10.19

-20.41

-26.69

>26.69

 

O

1

<6.42

-8.62

-9.88

-20.41

-26.69

>26.69

gGT U/L

B

X

 

 

 

0-51.3

-90

>90

 

O

X

 

 

 

0-52.4

-75

>75

 

B

1

 

 

 

0-54

-120

>120

 

O

1

 

 

 

0-55

-100

>100

GLDH U/L

B

X

 

 

 

0-19

-50

>50

 

O

X

 

 

 

0-19

-50

>50

 

B

1

 

 

 

0-20

-50

>50

 

O

1

 

 

 

0-20

-40

>40

Glob g/L

B

X

<17.84

-22.99

-30.44

-43.7

-51.3

>51.3

 

O

X

<18.36

-22.79

-33.59

-41.8

-51

>51

 

B

1

<16.99

-22.99

-28.99

-46

-54

>54

 

O

1

<17.49

-22.79

-31.99

-44

-53

>53

Glu mmol/L

B

X

<1.15

-1.6

-2.2

-2.95

-3.9

>3.9

 

O

X

<1.15

-1.6

-2.2

-3.14

-3.99

>3.99

 

B

1

<1.10

-1.6

-2.1

-3.1

-4.1

>4.1

 

O

1

<1.10

-1.6

-2.1

-3.3

-4.2

>4.20

GPx iu/g Hb

B

X

<25.80

-32

-42

-161

-200

>200

 

O

X

<43

-60

-84

-300

-390

>390

 

B

1

<24.50

-32

-40

-169

-211

>211

 

O

1

<40

-60

-80

-315

-410

>410

Hb g/dl

B

X

<8.50

-9.4

-11.13

-14.16

-15.87

>15.87

 

O

X

<8.93

-9.9

-11.97

-17.56

-23.75

>23.75

 

B

1

<8.10

-9.4

-10.6

-14.9

-16.7

>16.7

 

O

1

<8.50

-9.9

-11.4

-18.5

-24

>24

Lap U/L

O

X

 

 

 

0-3.42

>3.42

 

 

O

1

 

 

 

0-3.60

>3.60

 

Liver Cu mg/kg DM

B

X

<15.75

-23.1

-31.5

-760

-855

>855

 

O

X

<15.75

-23.1

-31.5

-760

-1425

>1425

 

B

1

<15.00

-23.1

-30

-799.99

-900

>900

 

O

1

<15.00

-23.1

-29.99

-799.99

-1500

>1500

Mg mmol/L

B

X

<.52

-0.62

-0.73

-1.29

-1.37

>1.37

 

O

X

<.52

-0.62

-0.73

-1.29

-1.37

>1.37

 

B

1

<.49

-0.62

-0.7

-1.36

-1.44

>1.44

 

O

1

<.49

-0.62

-0.7

-1.36

-1.44

>1.44

Milk I ug/L

B

B

<25.00

-38

-50

-300

-400

>400

P mmol/L

B

X

<1.03

-1.16

-1.35

-2.76

-3.38

>3.38

 

O

X

<1.03

-1.16

-1.36

-2.76

-3.38

>3.38

 

B

1

<.97

-1.16

-1.29

-2.91

-3.55

>3.55

 

O

1

<.97

-1.16

-1.29

-2.91

-3.55

>3.55

PCV L/L

B

X

<.25

-0.27

-0.31

-0.40

-0.46

>.46

 

O

X

<.27

-0.31

-0.33

-0.43

-0.48

>.48

 

B

1

<.24

-0.27

-0.3

-0.42

-0.48

>.48

 

O

1

<.26

-0.3

-0.33

-0.45

-0.5

>.50

Peps U/L

B

X

 

 

 

0-0.95

-1.9

>1.90

 

O

X

 

 

 

0-0.95

-2.5

>2.50

 

B

1

 

 

 

0-1

-2

>2.00

 

O

1

 

 

 

0-1

-2

>2.00

PII ug/L

O

X

<25.00

-51

-105

-285

-380

>380

 

O

1

<20.00

-51

-100

-300

-400

>400

 

B

X

<25.00

-51

-105

-285

-380

>380

 

B

1

<20.00

-51

-100

-300

-400

>400

Se umol/L

B

X

<.54

-0.69

-0.92

-2.4

-4.2

>4.20

 

O

X

<.54

-0.69

-0.92

-2.4

-4.2

>4.20

 

B

1

<.51

-0.69

-0.88

-2.53

-4.43

>4.43

 

O

1

<.51

-0.69

-0.88

-2.53

-4.43

>4.43

TP g/L

B

X

<43.04

-48.99

-59.84

-78.85

-87.4

>87.4

 

O

X

<43.00

-50.99

-62.99

-75.05

-85.5

>85.5

 

B

1

<40.99

-48.99

-56.99

-83

-92

>92

 

O

1

<40.99

-50.99

-59.99

-79

-90

>90

Urea mmol/L

B

X

<1.74

-2.49

-3.49

-7.1

-11.04

>11.04

 

O

X

<1.74

-2.49

-3.49

-5.99

-10.25

>10.25

 

B

1

<1.66

-2.49

-3.32

-7.47

-11.62

>11.62

 

O

1

<1.66

-2.49

-3.32

-6.3

-10.79

>10.79

Zn umol/L

B

X

<7.22

-8.8

-11.23

-29.07

-34.88

>34.88

 

O

X

<7.22

-8.8

-11.23

-29.07

-34.88

>34.88

 

B

1

<6.88

-8.8

-10.7

-30.6

-36.72

>36.72

 

O

1

<6.89

-8.8

-10.69

-30.6

-36.72

>36.72

B12 is not a good test in cattle / sheep. There is an artefact in the (human) test-kit which gives unreliable values that usually are too low.

GPx breakpoints were lowered on 2/1/1996

PII breakpoints may be lowered on Grange test soon. Work by Drs. John Mee & Maurice McCoy suggests that new lower limit of the normal range for individual samples should be +/- 70 ug/L, but more data are needed to define really critical normal levels

| Top |

Authors:

Philip A.M. Rogers <philrogers@eircom.net>,
Joseph A. Larkin <
jlarkin@grange.teagasc.ie>
& Mary B. Munnelly <
mmunnelly@grange.teagasc.ie>,

Grange Research Centre, Teagasc, Dunsany, Co. Meath

| Top |