Veterinarians rely on blood work to reveal information about your pet’s health and inner workings. The Stanton Pet Hospital team uses blood tests for many reasons, such as to evaluate sick pets, check organ function before anesthesia, and screen healthy pets for hidden problems. Pet owners often wonder if blood work is truly necessary for their pet or have difficulty understanding the results. Here is our guide for pet owners to learn the basics about pet blood tests.

Why we recommend blood work for your pet

Blood tests are important in veterinary medicine because they provide a wealth of information in only a few minutes. We can’t see how well your pet’s kidneys are working or determine their electrolyte levels with a physical examination, but blood work can provide this data. Some common reasons our veterinarians may order lab work include:

  • Screening healthy pets — Blood work can detect minute changes before physical symptoms appear. Early detection enables timely intervention and better condition management. Routine screenings also allow us to establish your pet’s baseline “normal.”
  • Preanesthetic testing — Blood work checks your pet’s ability to process anesthetic drugs before a surgical or dental procedure. If we find a problem through the blood work, we can order additional testing or adjust the anesthetic protocol to ensure your pet’s safety.
  • Health and drug monitoring — Pets with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or kidney disease, require frequent blood work to see how they are responding to treatment. Pets on long-term medications also need blood work periodically to check for side effects.

Pet blood work components

Many specialized blood tests are available through our send-out reference laboratory; however, the term “blood work” usually means a basic blood profile. Basic blood work components typically include:

  • Complete blood count — The CBC provides information about your pet’s red and white blood cell counts. Altered counts or ratios can indicate infections, anemia, stress, or immune system disorders.
  • Blood chemistry panel — The chemistry panel measures enzymes, electrolytes, proteins, and other substances dissolved in the liquid blood portion. Blood chemistry can assess liver and kidney function and give clues about many other body functions.
  • Thyroid function test — A thyroid screening test is sometimes included in a basic blood panel. Thyroid hormone imbalances can affect metabolism and energy levels.

Interpreting pet blood work results

Interpreting blood work results is a combination of art and science. Results are reported relative to reference ranges, which each laboratory or machine manufacturer determines based on data from thousands of healthy pets. Results in the reference range are generally considered normal; however, this isn’t always the case. Your veterinarian takes into account your pet’s health, age, medications, activity level, and many other factors to determine what each blood test result means.

Dealing with abnormal pet blood test results

Abnormal results don’t always indicate a severe problem, but they often signal a need for additional diagnostics. When several results are abnormal, the specific combination of findings can help point your veterinary team in the right investigative direction. Here are a few common scenarios:

  • Reduced kidney function — Common findings include elevated SDMA, creatinine, and/or BUN on the blood chemistry panel and possible decreased red blood cells on CBC.
  • Reduced liver function — Elevated liver enzymes, including ALT, ALP, and GGT can occur when the liver is malfunctioning or as a side effect of drug metabolism and other systemic disorders.
  • Inflammation, infection, or cancer — Changes in white blood cell numbers occur when the body is fighting an invader or when the immune system goes haywire, as in auto-immune disease.
  • Dehydration — Dehydration reduces the amount of liquid in the blood, which elevates the percentage of red cells, but doesn’t alter the overall count.
  • Diabetes — Diabetic pets have increased glucose on a chemistry panel and may have glucose in their urine. They may also have elevated cholesterol and liver enzymes.
  • Thyroid disorders — Thyroid disorders cause increases or decreases in thyroid hormone concentration in the blood.

Treatment for abnormal test results depends on the underlying issue. When minor changes first appear, we may recommend retesting after a few weeks or months to confirm whether the problem is persistent or was an isolated incident. When significant changes occur, we may recommend additional testing to evaluate the issue and determine which treatments, if any, are necessary.

Understanding the reasons for blood work and how the results are interpreted empowers pet owners to participate in their furry pal’s health care. Regular veterinary visits and screening blood tests can help ensure a longer, healthier life for your companion. Contact our Stanton Pet Hospital team to schedule your pet’s next routine screening blood work or if you have questions about blood work results.