“Why should I do bloodwork on my pet, when I know I need a different test?”
This is a common question I hear from very educated clients. They come into my office with their pet that has an obvious neurologic problem, i.e. can’t walk! They know they need an MRI – they referred to a veterinary neurologist for an MRI and surgery. After doing a physical examination and a neurological examination, my first recommendation is always blood work! Why?
- Blood work is an important overall “view” of the patients health.
- A complete blood count can tell us about the level of oxygenation a pet has, how their bone marrow is functioning and if there is any infection in the body
- A blood chemistry profile tells us about the kidneys, the liver, the muscles, protein levels and can indicate a variety of other issues.
- A blood chemistry profile tells us about the kidneys, the liver, the muscles, protein levels and can indicate a variety of other issues.
- Sometimes we find things in the blood work that will explain or contribute to the neurological disease we are seeing
- Blood work is important prior to anesthesia.
- Looking at the liver function, kidney function, red blood cell count and hydration status helps us pick what medications are best for your pet while anesthetizing and while under anesthesia.
- It also helps us be cognizant of any problems we may face while doing procedures (MRI or surgery) on your pet.
- Blood work is important prior to starting any medications.
- Some medications are contra-indicated if there are blood abnormalities indicating liver disease, kidney disease, or anemia
- Blood work was just run a few months ago – do we need to do it again?
- Yes, most likely, we will recommend rechecking the blood work, even if it was normal a few months ago. Typically you are bringing your dog to a specialist because of a new problem – just as quickly as a dog can stop walking or have a seizure, which is an obvious change – things can change in their blood work (and it is often not as obvious)!
