but am I incorrect in interpreting this to mean that Amber may not actually be sick?
"In 1930, Dr. Paul Kouchakoff of the Institute of Clinical Chemistry in Switzerland studied the effect of cooked and raw food on the immune system. He found that when cooked food is ingested, the blood responds by increasing the number of white blood cells. This phenomenon is called 'digestive leukocytosis.' Normally, an increase in leukocytes (white blood cells) happens as a defense mechanism for stress, infection, trauma, toxins, or anything harmful. Dr. Kouchakoff discovered raw food didn't cause this reaction. After much research, he concluded that raw food was viewed by the immune system as "friendly," and cooked food was viewed as dangerous. Because this reaction negatively affects the entire body, he called the overall effect 'pathological leukocytosis.'"
Kymythy Schultze. Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purr-fect Health (Kindle Locations 553-557). Kindle Edition.
If I am reading this right, cats fed cooked food, which are used to get the averages that are considered normal, actually have an abnormal amount of white blood cells, so Amber, who eat raw food and would not have pathological leukocytosis, may have a normal amount? Now that I think about it, her levels were higher when she had a staph infection, which means she *IS* reacting, just enough according to their averages.