A blood analysis is a vital tool for screening for disease in our pets. Because our pets cannot tell us what is wrong with them laboratory tests, such as blood analyses, are used by veterinarians used to determine health related problems.
Blood tests can be used to detect treat and prevent potentially dangerous illnesses in your dog. They are an essential tool for identifying diseases in the earliest stage possible which is when they are the easiest to treat. For a complete picture of your dog’s health, your veterinarian will usually combine a blood analysis with other types of tests, such as a urinalysis and a fecal examination.
They are especially useful when used on sick or elderly dogs because they often have more than one medical issue going on at one time. This can complicate the diagnosis and treatment and making it more difficult for the veterinarian to treat your animal. By conducting a blood test on your dog the veterinarian can pin point specific health issues.
Another reason that a blood test is often ordered by your veterinarian is to detect any kidney or liver abnormalities. Some medications can be potentially harmful to the dog’s liver and kidney function. If it is a drug that they must take continuously veterinarians often order an annual blood analysis to be sure that the medication is not leading to damage to the organs.
It is recommended that you get a blood test as part of your dog’s annual physical examination. A blood urinalysis will enable your veterinarian to spot health trends sooner rather than later when they become more serious.
What a Blood Analysis Looks For
CBC – Complete Blood Cell Count – a complete blood cell count supplies important information about your dog’s blood cells. For instance a low number of red blood cells indicate anemia. A high number of white blood cells can indicate infection, chronic inflammation, or other diseases.
Blood Chemistry Profile – a blood chemistry profile is particularly important for evaluating your dog’s organ function, electrolytes, and blood sugar. It screens for clues to detect any type of endocrine disorder. Any abnormalities found in the blood chemistry profile will probably lead to further diagnostic tests by the veterinarian.
Heartworm test – a blood analysis will detect any evidence of heartworm disease.
How is the Sample Collected?
In most cases your veterinarian can easily collect blood for analysis during a regular office visit.
In some rare cases blood samples need to be drawn at specific times over a an extended period of time. In these instances your dog may need to be kept at the clinic for a few hours or, in some cases, overnight.
When a Blood Analysis is Recommended:
1. A blood analysis is ordered before any type of anesthesia is administered to the dog. This is an essential part of patient evaluation in preparation for any type of medical procedure or surgery on an animal.
2. An analysis is often done during the normal part of the annual physical exam. This is very important because it is the best way to spot problems early on and also to develop that baseline picture that your veterinarian needs to correctly evaluate your dog’s health. This helps to determine what is normal for your dog.
3. The blood analysis test is a typical step whenever certain medications are going to be prescribed for your dog. These medications can hurt the dog further when these underlying health issues are present.
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