Abstract: The present invention provides a method of identifying and mitigating a risk of deathloss of an animal, comprising receiving, at a processor from a hematology analyzer, information obtained from a sample from said animal, wherein said information comprises a leukocyte absolute count and a leukocyte differential from said sample, said sample comprising leukocytes, analyzing, by said processor, said leukocyte absolute count and said leukocyte differential to determine a survivability index for said animal, and managing the animal based on the survivability index.

Abstract: A method of analyzing a blood sample from a subject includes loading the blood sample into a single chamber; acquiring, via an imaging system, a stack of serial focal plane images of the blood sample from a plurality of fields of view of the chamber; creating a virtual three dimensional image of the blood sample from selected ones of the stacks of serial focal plane images; and analyzing the virtual three dimensional image to identify blood formed elements within the blood sample. Identifying blood formed elements within the blood sample may include identifying a type and amount of white blood cells, and/or identifying an amount of red blood cells and/or hematocrit, and/or identifying an amount of platelets. Identifying blood formed elements within the blood sample may include determining numbers and percentage by volume in the blood sample of one or more types of white blood cells.