Does My Pet Need Bloodwork?

Bloodwork provides information that shows how the internal organs are performing.   An examination gives veterinarians a lot of information on the physical health of the patient.  The owner’s history tells us how the patient is doing at home and provides even more information.  However, if we really want to know how well things are functioning internally, a blood test can provide some missing pieces of the puzzle.

It is recommended that a heartworm test be performed annually in dogs.  Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitos and can lead to congestive heart failure in dogs and severe respiratory disease in cats.  One small drop of blood can tell us if a patient has antibodies to anaplasma phagocytophilum, anaplasma platys, borelia burgdorferi, erlichia canis, erlichia chaffeensis, Erlichia ewignii, and dirofilaria immitis.

The complete blood count gives the veterinarian a look into the red blood cells, white blood cell, and platelets.  There are 22 parameters involved in the complete blood count.  Different disease processes will affect the complete blood count in different ways.  It lets the doctors see if there is an anemia present, or if the patient is making enough red blood cells and platelets.  It tells us if the patient has a systemic infection, or that if we haven’t found one, we should keep looking.

The chemistry give us access to electrolytes, immunoassays, and blood gasses.  Similar to the complete blood count, different diseases will alter different chemistry values.  Veterinarians can determine the state of the liver and kidneys, further asses their hydration status, and evaluate the glucose level.  Blood values obtained from the chemistry can further tailor a treatment plan for the patient.

Sick patients need bloodwork to fully diagnose their condition, but well patients also need bloodwork.  Bloodwork prior to surgery can make surgery safer and more comfortable for the patient.   It is easier to plan for potential problems than to be caught off guard.  Many diseases are easier to treat when caught early.  If the patient is asymptomatic the only reason to suspect underlying disease maybe based on slight changes in their bloodwork.  Having annual bloodwork provides a normal baseline to allow comparison.  Did you know that 1 in 7 adult patients have an abnormality that should be further addressed?  That statistic increases to 1 in 5 senior pets and 2 in 5 for geriatrics.

Our beloved pets are living longer due to their great care.  Preventive bloodwork can improve longevity even more.

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