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In addition to your pet’s routine physical examination, laboratory testing of blood and urine samples plays a very important role in helping veterinarians assess the health of their patients. Laboratory tests can verify that your pet is in good health, but will also help in early detection of infection or disease.
Lab testing of the blood and urine of a healthy pet allows the veterinarian to establish what the normal baseline values are for your pet to refer to in future testing. In some cases, early disease can be detected and proper intervention may be able to slow or reverse or treat the underlying subtle illness.
In a sick pet, lab tests help veterinarians to make a proper diagnosis of the problem and to monitor your pet’s response to treatment.
Lab tests given prior to anesthesia and surgery can identify pets at risk for complications from anesthesia and help us determine which anesthetic technique to use.
All laboratory tests are a just a “snapshot” of the patient at the time the blood and urine samples are taken. Values obtained can vary from test to test and from one day to another for many reasons, so it is very important to remember that a healthy pet can have one or two test results that are outside of normal ranges. Frequently veterinarians will have the tests repeated a few days or weeks later to verify whether the abnormal results were just the way the animal’s results looked that particular moment of the first sample or if the results are consistently abnormal then further testing may be indicated. Veterinarians take into consideration your pet’s clinical signs, health history, medications, nutrition, age, etc., when interpreting the lab test results.
There are four basic categories of laboratory tests that veterinarians may use to asses the health of your pet:
The CBC or Complete Blood count deals with the cells in the blood. A series of tests that measure the number, type and healthiness of blood cells circulating in the blood stream, including the hemoglobin and the red blood cells (RBC) that carry oxygen through the body, the white blood cells (WBC) that help fight infections and inflammation, and the platelets that aid in blood clotting. The CBC is useful in detecting leukemia, anemia, infection, inflammation and dehydration.
The chemistry panel deals with the liquid portion of the blood called the serum. Most chemistry profiles are made up of a series of tests that measure the level of various compounds and chemicals in the blood that evaluates the health of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, adrenal glands, immune system, muscle and bone.
The thyroid function test evaluates the function of the thyroid gland and measure levels of hormone the gland is producing for the blood stream. Most commonly in dogs we are testing for hypothyroidism and in cats we are testing for hyperthyroidism.
The urinalysis evaluates the function and health of the urinary system. A urinalysis measures the color, clearness and concentration of the urine. It also detects abnormalities such as glucose, high protein, blood and while blood cells. This is useful in detecting infection and inflammation of in the urinary tract, kidney disease, diabetes and dehydration.
We recommend a complete laboratory work-up on an annual basis for all our adult 4-legged family members and more frequently when we consider them senior citizens.
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