We go to our doctors to have regular check ups and blood screenings, this should be done for our pets too. We offer a number of in house blood screens from pre anaesthetic panels to full comprehensive panels. You may be wondering why your pet needs a blood test if they appear to be healthy?
Blood tests help to provide us with insight as to what is happening internally in your pet. We recommend blood testing every 6 – 12 month once your pet is considered a senior citizen of the pet world.
The benefits of annual blood tests include:
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We are able to monitor your pet’s internal organ function over time and pick up problems earlier in the disease process
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Most changes if caught early are treatable with diet or supplementation allowing slower progression of disease
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Monitoring organ function when your pet is receiving medication, some medications can have side effects over time and so monitoring for changes is an important part of keeping your pet healthy
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Having normal blood results give us something to compare to when your pet is sick and allows us to have a normal range for your pet.
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Our pet’s cannot communicate with us to tell us they are feeling sick, blood tests can help to diagnose conditions that could be causing them discomfort
Preanaesthetic blood profiles are offered to any patients undergoing a general anaesthetic for a procedure. We offer these for a number of reasons;
1- The results can give us a baseline of what normal is for your pet. If your pet was to come in unwell in a few months time and repeat bloods were taken, this can give us a comparison and could be crucial in identifying any concerns.
2- This allows us to ensure your pet is the healthiest they can be prior to undertaking an anaesthetic and what increased risks we need to be aware of.
3- Often pets undergoing anaesthetic will need medications to go home with and if there are abnormalities detected, the medication we use/dispense can be changed to ensure it is safe for your pet.
Jack’s preanaesthetic blood test story:
Jack was my dog who required annual dentals (he was a Maltese Terrier X). His preanaesthetic blood test helped me to identify that he was in early kidney failure. Fortunately, this early diagnosis meant that I was able to modify his diet and Jack was able to live with kidney disease for 3 more years until we said goodbye when he was 19 years old.
Is your pet over 7 years old? Have they had a blood test in the last 6-12 months? Click here to organise a vet check and blood test today.