Client Information

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Pets can’t say how they are feeling – Its usually how they look or act that tells you something is wrong. Blood testing goes a step further, showing us the earliest signs of illness, often before your pet even seems to be sick. Testing gives us immediate insights that we might not otherwise discover. And treating your pet early can help with better outcome and lower treatment costs, too.

Blood testing can frequently detect illness in your pet before we can see any outward signs of disease. Early detection means earlier prevention and treatment. Testing healthy pets during wellness gives us your pet’s normal baseline values to compare to later.

We’ll routinely perform a complete blood count (CBC) and a complete blood chemistry panel, including electrolytes and urinalysis. The CBC tells us if there is infection, inflammation or anemia. The chemistry panel and electrolytes tell us if your pet’s liver, kidneys and pancreas are healthy and performing as they should. A urinalysis tells us if there’s infection or inflammation in the urinary tract-a common problem for pets of all ages. A T4 test provides information about your pet’s thyroid gland function. This is extremely important because thyroid disease is common in dogs and older cats.

Immediate results allow immediate treatment. Blood testing takes only a few minutes and can save lives and costs in the long run. In-house blood testing lets you be more involved in your pet’s care, as you and your veterinarian can discuss the results right away. If they’re abnormal and we need to run more tests, there will be fewer trips back and forth. If the results are normal, your veterinarian can rule out certain diseases right away so you can worry less. And that’s better for you and your pet.

This is blood work done no more than 1 month before your pet’s surgery, dentistry or other procedure that requires anesthesia. It includes all the tests listed above and lets us formulate a pan to ensure anesthesia is as safe as possible for your pet. If we have concerns after we see the test results, we can address them and formulate a plan. Preanesthetic screening can happen the same day as surgery, but if any concerns arise may result in rescheduling surgery. 

Understanding your pets test results:

Glucose: Glucose is the basic nutrient for the body. It is highly regulated in the blood stream, but does fluctuate for a few hours after eating. Glucose changes may be seen with a variety of metabolic diseases and various organ system abnormalities.

Kidneys: Kidneys are responsible for filtering metabolic waste products, excess sodium and water from the blood stream which is then transferred to the bladder for excretion. Primary Laboratory Tests for the Kidneys are BUN, CREATININE (metabolic waste products that the kidneys remove from the blood stream) & Urinalysis (physical, chemical and microscopic evaluation of the urine). Secondary Laboratory Tests for the Kidneys are Na, K, Cl, TCO2, Anion Gap (indicate potential electrolyte imbalances) PHOS, Ca (potentially impacted by decreased renal function) & ALB (protein potentially decreased with loss through malfunctioning kidneys).

Liver: The liver is a large organ with many different functions. It processes the blood by removing both bacteria and toxins as well as further breaking down many of the complex nutrients absorbed during the digestion of food into much smaller components for use by the rest of the body. Primary Laboratory Tests for Liver are ALT (liver cell enzyme indicating liver cell injury), ALKP, GGT (liver enzymes that may support bile obstruction) & ALB (protein produced in liver potentially decreased with impaired liver function). Secondary Laboratory Tests for the Liver are BUN, GLU, GLOB (potential indicators of decreased function) TBIL, CHOL (potential support for bile obstruction) & TRIG (potential indicator of lipid metabolism dysfunction).

Pancreas: The pancreas is a small organ located near the small intestines and is responsible for producing several digestive enzymes and hormones that help regulate metabolism. Primary Laboratory Tests for the Pancreas are AMYL, LIPA (pancreatic enzymes potentially supporting cell injury/inflammation),  BUN, CREA (if increased, may interfere with AMYL interpretation). Secondary Laboratory Tests for the Pancreas are GLU (potential indication of diabetes related to pancreatic disease),  Ca, ALB (potential decrease associated with pancreatic inflammation) &  ALT, ALKP, GGT, TBIL, CHOL, TRIG (potential secondary liver disease).

Electrolytes: Electrolytes (Na, K, Cl, TCO2, Anion Gap) are critical to body function and must be maintained in very narrow limits. Dehydration is a common cause of electrolyte imbalances, despite how effective the body is at regulating the concentration levels.

Red Blood Cells: Red blood cells (RBCs) are the most numerous and longest living of the different types of blood cells and typically make up almost half of the blood’s volume. RBCs contain a special protein called hemoglobin (HGB) that binds to the oxygen in the lungs and enabled the RBC to transport the oxygen as it travels through the rest of the body. Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells and are produced by the bone marrow. Primary lab tests for RBCs are HCT (indicator of blood loss or dehydration), HBG, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW (measurements describing the size and distribution of RBCs) RETIC (immature RBCs ).

White Blood Cells: White blood cells are primarily responsible for fighting infections. There are five different types of white bloods cells and each one performs specific functions to keep the body healthy. NEU-Neutrophils are most common and help fight bacterial infections, LYM-Lymphocytes are a component of the immune system and produce antibodies, MONO-Monocytes ingest large particles and help clear areas with tissue injury, EOS-Eosinophils are involved in allergic responses and parasitic diseases, BASO-Basophils are uncommon and are also involved in allergic and parasitic disease.

Platelets: Platelets play a critical role in preventing bleeding.

Thyroxine:Thyroxine (T4), produced by the thyroid gland, is a hormone essential for growth and metabolism.

Urinalysis:  Urinalysis includes physical, chemical and microscopic evaluation of urine and this evaluation provides additional information about the kidney and liver as well as the general well being of animals.

For dogs and cats over 12 weeks of age, No food after 10:00pm the evening before surgery. Water is allowed until the time of surgery. 

If your pet is under 12 weeks of age or if you have an exotic pet (rabbit, guinea pig, gerbil, hamster, etc),  please follow your normal feeding schedule.

Check in: Please come to check in with your pet between 7:30-8:00am on the day of surgery. Allow 15 minutes for the check in and admission process. Please ensure that you or someone with authority to make medical decisions is available by phone on your pets surgery day.

Medications: If your pet is on daily medications, please give those as you normally would. If it is needed, give a small amount of food with the medication. If your pet is diabetic, skip their morning dose and bring the insulin with you to check in unless directed otherwise.

Lab work and physical exam: Pre-surgical blood work will be performed the day of surgery, unless it has previously been done within the last month. A full physical exam will be preformed by the doctor doing surgery. Surgery may occur as scheduled or be delayed as determined after the pre-surgical examination and/or pre-surgical blood work. 

Surgical Prep: The skin surrounding the surgical area will be clipped and prepped with a surgical scrub. We will also trim your pets nails.

Anesthesia: Isoflurane inhalant anesthesia may be used. There is always some risk involved with general anesthesia, depending on the overall health of your pet. A Certified Veterinary Technician will monitor your pets cardiac and respiratory function along with other parameters closely during their surgical procedure. 

Surgery: The surgical suite and instrumentation used will have been cleaned and sterilized to the highest standards. All surgical personnel will  maintain appropriate sterile technique during surgery.

Post Surgical: Our patients are recovered by Certified Veterinary Technicians. Pets must be kept warm and comfortable following surgery. Both staff and doctor will monitor your pet during the hospital stay. We will call/text you after surgery to update you on your pet’s condition and set a release time. We will meet with you before you take your pet home to give you post-surgical information. If you wish to discuss specific information with the doctor, please let us know in advance.

Your pets recovery depends a lot on you. Please restrict your pet for 7 to 10 days after surgery so that they may heal appropriately. They may act like they are feeling fine, but still need time and rest to heal. Leash only activity outside for 7 to 10 days is best after a spay, neuter, mass removal or any other soft tissue surgery. Soft food might be appropriate after a dental procedure. So, please read and follow your take home instructions carefully to ensure your pet heals appropriately.