Reference intervals for the cattle — biochemistry, haematology, urinalysis and specialised tests, in one place, with the provenance of every value stated.
Hover any value to see its source and how to check it. The symbol tells you what kind of evidence it is.
- 🔗 89 — Online source — click and verify
- 📖 1 — Peer-reviewed paper — open the record
- ✎ 1 — Citation key on file — full details on request
90 of 91 values (99%) can be checked by anyone, today, without asking us.
Biochemistry
Serum and plasma biochemistry, blood gases and acid–base — 34 values, every one cited.
Haematology
Complete blood count, red cell indices, reticulocytes and platelet fractions — 19 values, every one cited.
| Marker | Reference interval | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Basophils | 0-0.3 ×103/µL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| Eosinophils | 0-1.3 ×103/µL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| Fibrinogen | 100-600 mg/dL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| HCT | 25-33% | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| HGB | 8.7-12.4 g/dL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| Large unstained cells absolute | 0-0.3 ×10^3/µL | Cornell AHDC — Haematology reference intervals |
| Large unstained cells percent | 0-4.7 % | Cornell AHDC — Haematology reference intervals |
| Lymphocytes | 1.7-7.5 ×103/µL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| MCH | 14-19 pg | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| MCHC | 34-38 g/dL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| MCV | 38-51 fL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| MPV | 4.6-7.4 fL | Animal Health Laboratory |
| Monocytes | 0-0.9 ×103/µL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| Neutrophils | 1.8-7.2 ×103/µL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| Platelets | 252-724 ×103/µL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| RBC | 5.0-7.2 ×106/µL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| RDW | 15.0-19.4 % | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| Reticulocytes | adult 0 ×109/L (fixed value) | Animal Health Laboratory |
| WBC | 5.9-14.0 ×103/µL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
Urinalysis
Urine concentration, protein and tubular injury markers — 3 values, every one cited.
| Marker | Reference interval | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PH | 7.5-8.5 | Awanui/Gribbles Veterinary |
| Specific gravity | 1.020-1.045 | Herman N et al. Urinalysis and urine protein-t |
| UPC | 0.04-0.25 (reference interval) | Herman N et al. Urinalysis and urine protein-t |
Coagulation and viscoelastic testing
Clotting times, inhibitors, fibrinolysis and whole-blood viscoelastic testing — 5 values, every one cited.
| Marker | Reference interval | Source |
|---|---|---|
| APTT | Cornell AHDC 30.0-58.0 AHL Guelph 22.8-35.8 s (laboratory-dependent) | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath — Coagulation referen |
| Fibrin degradation products | baseline <5 µg/mL (interpretive bands) | UC Davis VMTH Clinical Chemistry Reference Int |
| Fibrinogen koagulometr | 2.08-3.45 g/L | Schalm's Veterinary Hematology |
| Haptoglobin | <0.033 g/L | Eckersall et al. PMC6380195 immunoturbidimetri |
| PT | Cornell AHDC 26.0-38.0 AHL Guelph 18.4-23.1 s (laboratory-dependent) | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath — Coagulation referen |
Endocrine and reproductive assays
Adrenal, thyroid, pancreatic and gonadal hormones, including stimulation-test values — 3 values, every one cited.
| Marker | Reference interval | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cortisol basal | 2-50 ng/mL | LABOKLIN — Farm Animals reference table |
| Progesterone | anestrus estrus 0-2 luteal phase 13-64 nmol/L (interpretive bands) | Michigan State University VDL Endocrinology |
| Total T4 | 3.4-8.2 µg/dL | LABOKLIN — Farm Animals reference table |
Trace elements, vitamins and amino acids
Micronutrient status, vitamin metabolites, plasma amino acids and toxic metals — 15 values, every one cited.
Other specialised assays
Pancreatic and inflammatory markers, cardiac and renal function tests, cerebrospinal fluid and therapeutic drug monitoring — 12 values, every one cited; 2 further entries state that no interval has been established.
| Marker | Reference interval | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | not established | No bovine reference interval is published: the analyte is listed for the horse only in Smith BP et al., Large Animal Internal Medicine, 6th ed., Table 22.2 (Clinical Chemistry: Normal Range for Large Animals), p. 399, and the cow column is blank in Kaneko JJ et al., Clinical Biochemistry of Domestic Animals, 6th ed., Appendix VIII (Blood Analyte Reference Values in Large Animals). |
| BHB | 2.3-10 mg/dL | Cornell AHDC — Clinical Pathology |
| Bicarbonate | 23-32 mmol/L | UC Davis VMTH Clinical Chemistry Reference Int |
| CSF total protein | 0-40 mg/dL | UC Davis VMTH Clinical Chemistry Reference Int |
| Creatine kinase | 66-272 U/L | UC Davis VMTH Clinical Chemistry Reference Int |
| D lactate | threshold >3 mmol/L meaning en D-lactate above this threshold is clinically significant in ruminants (clinical-significance threshold) | eClinPath |
| Fructosamine | 314-527 µmol/L | LABOKLIN — Farm Animals reference table |
| Ionized calcium | 1.16-1.33 mmol/L | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| Ionized magnesium | 0.42-0.59 mmol/L | UC Davis VMTH Clinical Chemistry Reference Int |
| Lipase dggr | not established | No validated DGGR-method reference interval in cattle; laboratories report total lipase only. |
| SAA | median in healthy animals 1.5 cut-off 6.5 mg/L (test cut-off) | Shinya U et al. Serum amyloid A concentrations |
| TIBC | 320-490 µg/dL | Cornell AHDC / eClinPath |
| Transferrin saturation (%Sat) | 18-54 % | Cornell AHDC — Clinical Pathology |
| Troponin I | 0.00-0.05 ng/mL | cTnI in healthy lactating dairy cows |
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Sources
All 24 sources behind the values on this page. The number after each value points here. Nothing here comes from anywhere else.
- 🔗 Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph — Biochemistry reference intervals (accessed 2026-08-09) — https://www.uoguelph.ca/ahl/biochemistry-reference-intervals
- 🔗 Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph — Hematology reference intervals (accessed 2026-08-09) — https://www.uoguelph.ca/ahl/content/hematology-reference-intervals
- 🔗 Awanui Veterinary (New Zealand) — Cobalt (B12): adequacy thresholds for cattle and sheep; the page states no reference ranges exist for goats — https://www.awanuivets.co.nz/cobalt-b12/
- ✎ Awanui/Gribbles Veterinary (NZ) — Urinalysis SG & dipstick reference, by species — Citation key on file — full bibliographic details on request
- 🔗 Cornell AHDC / eClinPath (Cobas c501 chem, Advia 2120 heme; >=120 healthy adults) — https://eclinpath.com/test-basics/reference-intervals/
- 🔗 Cornell AHDC / eClinPath — Coagulation reference intervals — https://eclinpath.com/test-basics/reference-intervals/
- 🔗 Cornell AHDC — Clinical Pathology, Chemistry (Cobas c501) reference intervals, serum only — https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/laboratories/clinical-pathology/reference-intervals/chemistry-cobas
- 🔗 Cornell AHDC — Haematology reference intervals, Advia 2120 (absolute and percentage differential tables) — https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/laboratories/clinical-pathology/reference-intervals/hematology-advia-2120
- 📖 Eckersall et al. PMC6380195 immunoturbidimetric assay: bovine Hp <0.033 g/L in healthy cattle (one-sided upper LoQ) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6380195/
- 🔗 eClinPath (Cornell AHDC) — Acid-base: specific disturbances (mleczan L- i D-) — https://eclinpath.com/chemistry/acid-base/types-of-disturbances/specific-disturbances/
- 🔗 Herman N, Bourgès-Abella N, Braun JP, et al. Urinalysis and determination of the urine protein-to-creatinine ratio reference interval in healthy cows. J Vet Intern Med. 2019;33(2):999-1008 — doi:10.1111/jvim.15452 · PMID 30768734
- 🔗 Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory — Clinical Pathology Reference Intervals (February 2011) — https://vetmed.iastate.edu/vpath/services/diagnostic-services/clinical-pathology-diagnostic-and-research-services/testing-and-fees/reference-intervals/
- 🔗 LABOKLIN — Farm Animals reference table (December 2022; cattle, sheep and goat columns) — https://laboklin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Referenztabelle_Nutztier_12.2022_EN_S.1.pdf
- 🔗 Labonté J, Roy JP, Dubuc J, et al. Measurement of cardiac troponin I in healthy lactating dairy cows using a point of care analyzer (i-STAT-1). J Vet Cardiol. 2015;17(2):129-33 — doi:10.1016/j.jvc.2015.02.003 · PMID 26044189
- 🔗 Merck Veterinary Manual — Serum Biochemical Reference Ranges — https://www.merckvetmanual.com/multimedia/table/serum-biochemical-analysis-reference-ranges
- 🔗 Michigan State University VDL Endocrinology (2025-06-26) — https://cvm.msu.edu/assets/documents/VDL/Endocrinology-Reference-Ranges.pdf
- 🔗 Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center (UNL) — Trace Elements / Micronutrients, expected serum concentrations — https://vbms.unl.edu/trace-elementsmicronutrients
- 🔗 Prairie Diagnostic Services — Trace Minerals & Vitamin Reference Intervals (ovine vitamin E; the page states ppm = mg/L for fluids) — https://pdsinc.ca/materials/trace-minerals-vitamin-reference-intervals/
- 🔗 Schalm's Veterinary Hematology, 7th ed. 2022, Chapter 111 (Hematology of Bovids), p.1007 — clotting times from the Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph; 28 clinically healthy adults, per ASVCP guidelines — https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119500537.ch111
- 🔗 Sekisui Diagnostics SDH Assay (2023) — https://sekisuidiagnostics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IN74025-2.pdf
- 🔗 Shinya U, Iwamura Y, Yamato O, et al. Serum Amyloid A Concentrations of Healthy and Clinically Diseased Japanese Black Breeding Cattle-Preliminary Measurements for Determining the Cut-Off Concentrations. Vet Sci. 2022;9(5) — doi:10.3390/vetsci9050198
- 🔗 Spolders M, Höltershinken M, Meyer U, et al. Assessment of reference values for copper and zinc in blood serum of first and second lactating dairy cows. Vet Med Int. 2010;2010:194656 — doi:10.4061/2010/194656
- 🔗 SRUC Veterinary Services — Inorganic iodine, pooled sample; cattle plasma inorganic iodine normal range 60–300 µg/L — https://www.sruc.ac.uk/business-services/veterinary-laboratory-services/veterinary-diagnostics/test-and-price-lists/farm-animal-diagnostic-tests/inorganic-iodine-pooled-sample-2060350/
- 🔗 UC Davis VMTH Clinical Chemistry Reference Intervals, Rev 6/2025 (multi-species table; column-verified) — https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk491/files/inline-files/Chemistry_Reference_Intervals_6.2025_0.pdf
Method
Evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) only. This page follows the principles of evidence-based veterinary medicine: every value is traceable to a named source, and where the evidence does not exist we say so. A value appears here solely when it can be traced to a named source: a laboratory reference document, an established veterinary clinical pathology reference, or peer-reviewed literature. There is no category of “commonly quoted” or “textbook approximate” value on this site.
Gaps stay gaps. Where an interval has not been established, the entry is absent. We do not substitute a value from a related species and we do not average across sources. 0 values held internally are withheld from these pages because their provenance is not recorded.
One dataset. Every number here is the number our articles use, with the same source attached.
Derived values are labelled. Where an interval was calculated from a published mean and standard deviation rather than formally established, the source entry says so explicitly.
Marcin Siedlecki. Cattle Blood Test Reference Ranges. VetBlood, 2026. https://vetblood.io/veterinary-reference-ranges/cattle/
Quote or reference it, in whole or in part, with attribution and a link back.
Compiled by Marcin Siedlecki. Last reviewed 2026-08-12. Corrections are welcome at vetblood@vetblood.io — if a value here disagrees with a source you trust, tell us and we will check it.