Comparison of a qualitative canine C-reactive protein test to a quantitative test and traditional markers of inflammation - Short communication.

Qualitative tests for C-reactive protein (CRP) are available for use in dogs, and provide a rapid in-house method of detecting acute inflammation. The aim of this study was to compare results from a qualitative CRP lateral flow test (Teco CRP FASTest) to those obtained from a quantitative CRP ELISA and to traditional methods of detecting inflammation, including total leukocyte and neutrophil numbers, presence of immature neutrophils and a left shift, presence or absence of toxic changes in neutrophils and plasma fibrinogen concentration in whole blood and serum samples collected from 113 client-owned dogs. More dogs had CRP FASTest positive results than had quantitatively increased CRP (ELISA) or increases in traditional methods used for measuring inflammation. Few dogs had increases in markers of inflammation but no elevated CRP. The qualitative CRP FASTest was found to be a sensitive test for detecting increased CRP concentration and was positive more frequently than were traditional markers of inflammation.