Veterinary Assistant Practice Exam 2026 - Free Veterinary Assistant Practice Questions and Study Guide

PCV, or packed cell volume, is also known as microhematocrit. This term refers to the volume percentage of red blood cells in a blood sample, which is a critical measurement in veterinary medicine as it provides insight into the animal's hydration status and can indicate conditions like anemia or polycythemia. The microhematocrit test involves spinning a blood sample in a centrifuge to separate the components by density, allowing for accurate measurement of red blood cell concentration.

The other terms listed are related to blood analysis but describe different aspects. MCHC stands for mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, which measures the average concentration of hemoglobin in a given volume of packed red blood cells. Hemoglobin concentration is a separate measurement that quantifies the total hemoglobin in a sample, whereas mean corpuscular volume refers to the average volume of individual red blood cells. While all these parameters are important in the evaluation of blood health, only microhematocrit directly corresponds to the term PCV.