Pets can’t say how they’re feeling, it’s usually how they look or act that tells you something is wrong. Blood testing frequently detects illness in your dog or cat before they show any outward signs of disease. Testing gives immediate insights that we might not otherwise discover and treating your pet early can lead to a better outcome and possible lower treatment costs.
Blood work is necessary in sick animals or emergency situations. It gives a valuable picture of your pet’s health and helps make immediate decisions regarding treatment options.
PRE-ANAESTHETIC: testing is routinely done prior to your pet’s surgery. It lets veterinary staff know if an anaesthetic is safe and make adjustments if anything abnormal should happen during a procedure. This testing is normally done on the same day as the anaesthetic is scheduled so that we have a current picture of the animal’s health.
PREVENTATIVE CARE: screening can be done because the signs of sickness are not always obvious. Preventative screening not only uncovers disease before it is too late, it can also avoid expenses and risks to your pet’s health. A sample can routinely be taken at the time of an animal’s annual vaccination.
MEDICATION MONITORING: screens are recommended by some manufacturers’ guidelines to ensure your pet’s vital organs are not being compromised while on long term medication.
Basic testing that is routinely performed when blood work is recommended may include:
CBC- A complete blood count tells if your pet has an infection, inflammation is present or if he is anaemic.
Complete blood chemistry panel including electrolytes-Provides information about your pet’s liver, kidneys and pancreas as well as other functions of the body such as blood sugar and hydration.
Urinalysis-Identifies an infection or inflammation in the urinary tract.
Thyroid function test-detects whether the thyroid gland is functioning properly. Thyroid disease is very common in older dogs and cats.
These are the more common tests, there are many additional tests available.
