Bloodwork is often recommended as part of a diagnostic work-up for  sick pets, as a pre-anesthetic screening tool, as part of a senior pet wellness evaluation, or to assess the safety and effectiveness of medications.  Valuable information can be gained about an animal’s general health through routine blood chemistries and a complete blood count.

 

Blood chemistries generally include the following:

 

Glucose- a measure of blood sugar. Can reveal diabetes (high blood glucose) or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) which can result from severe infections, liver disease, and certain pancreatic tumors

BUN and Creatinine- products of protein metabolism Most commonly used to evaluate kidney function..Elevations may indicate kidney disease, GI bleeding or severe dehydration, decreases could be a result of liver disease or poor nutrition

Bilirubin- a pigment that , when elevated, can be a sign of severe liver or gall bladder disease, or destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia)

ALP, ALT,and AST- liver enzymes. Elevation in these values can indicate liver disease or damage. They do not tell us the cause of the liver disease, only that the liver is involved. Additional tests are usually needed to determine the exact cause of liver disease.

Calcium and phosphorus- minerals-when elevated can be a sign of kidney disease, parathyroid hormone imbalance, cancer and fungal infections

Sodium, potassium and chloride- electrolytes that give an indication of fluid balance, metabolic health.

Protein/ Globulins- may be elevated with infectious and autoimmune diseases or decreased with kidney, GI and liver disease
Amylase and lipase-pancreatic enzymes that, when elevated, may indicate inflammation of the pancreas.

Triglycerides (fats) and cholesterol- can be elevated due to disorders like hypothyroidism, breed based genetic abnormalities, diet changes.

 

 

CBC (complete blood count)- includes the red and white blood cell counts

 

Hematocrit- a measure of the percentage of red blood cells in the blood. Decreases (anemia) can indicate blood loss, destruction of red blood cells, chronic illness, bone marrow diseases and cancer. Increases may indicate dehydration or cancer  but can be normal with certain breeds or at higher elevations.

WBC- the white blood cell count. May be elevated due to infections, inflammation, stress, cancers or anything that stimulates the immune system. Made up of several cell lines- some of which may help pinpoint the source of the problem. A low WBC may be an indication of serious infectious disease.

Platelets- WBCs involved with clotting- may be decreased due to autoimmune disease

Bloodwork alone will not diagnose all diseases. Most cancers, for example cannot be diagnosed through blood tests in animals. With sick pets it may be necessary to repeat certain tests to monitor the condition or to assess response to treatments. In many cases, additional diagnostic tests will be necessary to make an accurate diagnosis.