Globulins in cats and dogs
Globulins are all the blood proteins other than albumin: antibodies, proteins of inflammation, transport and clotting proteins. A routine panel does not measure them directly — globulin is calculated as total protein minus albumin. In most cases a high value points to inflammation or infection, and sometimes to a tumour of the cells that make antibodies.
What it shows
Electrophoresis splits globulins into fractions. Alpha and beta globulins are made mostly by the liver; they include acute-phase proteins, which rise within 12–24 hours of tissue injury, and transport proteins such as transferrin. Gamma globulins are antibodies (immunoglobulins) made by lymphocytes and plasma cells; they appear more slowly.
Because globulin is calculated, it is only as accurate as the two measured values: if albumin is overestimated, globulin comes out falsely low (eClinPath). Plasma globulin is a little higher than serum globulin, because plasma still contains fibrinogen.
Higher than reference — what it may be a sign of
- Inflammation and immune stimulation: chronic infectious and immune-mediated disease, liver disease. Usually many antibodies rise at once — a polyclonal pattern, which is not specific to any one disease (Cornell).
- Particular infections: feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) in cats; ehrlichiosis and heartworm disease in dogs (eClinPath).
- Tumours of antibody-producing cells: multiple myeloma, some lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, plasmacytomas. Here one antibody type rises — a monoclonal pattern.
- Fluid loss: if albumin is high at the same time, dehydration is the more likely explanation.
Lower than reference
A low globulin is usually a fall in gamma globulins (antibodies). Causes listed by eClinPath: protein loss — most often through the gut, also with bleeding or severe oozing skin disease, when albumin is usually low too; age — puppies and kittens up to about 8 weeks have lower values; rare inherited immunodeficiencies; and an artefact of overestimated albumin.
Look at together with
- Albumin and total protein — the two values globulin is calculated from.
- A/G ratio — a low ratio with high total protein indicates excess globulins.
- Protein electrophoresis — considered when globulins stay high without an obvious cause, or when a plasma cell tumour is suspected; it shows whether the rise is polyclonal or monoclonal (eClinPath, Cornell).
- Lymphocytes and the rest of the blood count — in FIP a low lymphocyte count is among the typical findings (Merck).
Units and conversion
Globulin is reported in g/L (г/л) or g/dL (г/дл); one g/dL equals 10 g/L, so 4.0 g/dL is 40 g/L. Since it is a difference, total protein and albumin have to come from the same sample: subtracting an albumin from one lab from a total protein from another gives a meaningless number.
Reference range
The reference range is on your lab’s form. A moderate polyclonal rise is a sign of antigenic stimulation rather than a diagnosis, so vets look at the size of the rise, whether it persists, and the rest of the panel. Electrophoresis does not always give a definitive answer, but some serious diseases produce a characteristic pattern that leads quickly to a diagnosis (VCA).
Cats and dogs
In cats with FIP serum often shows increased alpha-2 globulins and a polyclonal gamma rise; this pattern is typical but not specific, since other inflammatory conditions can cause it (Cornell). No single blood test confirms FIP (Cornell Feline Health Center). High globulins also occur in cats with lymphoma, multiple myeloma and chronic infection (Merck).
In dogs ehrlichiosis, leishmaniasis and heartworm disease can raise globulins; eClinPath and Cornell note that these infections can produce a narrow peak that looks like a tumour pattern. Extramedullary plasmacytomas in dogs usually arise in the skin. Puppies up to about 8 weeks have lower globulins.
Add a lab form — Pet Tracker Space recognises the lines, keeps the form’s units and draws each indicator over time with your lab’s reference band.
Sources
This page explains what a lab value means. It is not a diagnosis and not a substitute for your veterinarian — only they can interpret results for your pet.