PRE-ANAESTHETIC BLOOD TESTS

PRE-ANAESTHETIC BLOOD TESTS

What are pre-anaesthetic blood tests?

Prior to every anaesthetic a Veterinarian will perform a physical examination on your pet, paying particular attention to the heart and lungs. Unfortunately there are certain conditions, including disorders of the kidneys and blood, that cannot be detected without blood testing. Pre-anaesthetic blood testing allows us to check for problems and if necessary modify our anaesthetic regime, or if more serious, delay surgery until your pet’s problem can be treated.

What is being tested?

There are three components of the animal's blood that is examined. These are:

Haematology

These tests look at the:

Red blood cells (RBC)

these cells are responsible for carrying oxygen through the body

a low RBC count suggests anaemia

White Blood Cells (WBC)

these cells are responsible for fighting off infections

high WBC levels can indicate inflammation or infection somewhere in the body and very high cell counts can suggest leukaemia

Platelets (PLT)

these cell fragments are involved in the process of blood clotting

a deficiency of platelets increases the risk of bleeding with surgery

Biochemistry

These tests measure the levels of certain chemicals and enzymes in the blood.

Urea and Creatinine

both these chemicals are normally excreted by the kidneys

elevated levels can indicate kidney disease, urinary obstruction (eg. bladder stone blocking the bladder) poor perfusion of blood through the kidneys or severe dehydration. Although we can still anaesthetise animals with these conditions we may have to take additional precautions such as administering the animal intravenous fluids.

- ALT and ALKP

both these enzymes are produced by the liver

increases in either of them can indicate a number of condition such as hepatitis or liver cancer

liver disease can effect the way anaesthetics are metabolised in the body and as a consequence can alter the way an animal copes with the anaesthetic

Glucose

high blood sugar levels can indicate diabetes or stress (particularly in cats)

- Total protein

the level of protein in the blood can indicate a variety of conditions ranging from dehydration to liver and kidney

Electrolytes

The potassium, sodium and chloride levels in the blood are chemicals called electrolytes. They are important for many reasons including keeping the heart beating regularly and the muscles working properly. Changes in their levels can greatly influence the outcome of the surgery.

How are these tests performed?

At Karingal Veterinary Hospital we use the IDEXX VetLabÔ . This state-of-the-art laboratory analyser allows us to perform all our pre-anaesthetic blood testing at the Hospital. This means no waiting on pathology reports and so if there is a problem with your pet we can start to treat it sooner.