Pre-Anesthetic Blood Testing
Pre-anesthetic blood work helps us to assess internal organ function and red and white blood cell parameters. This helps us determine if there are any additional precautions that need to be taken before, during and after surgery. It is important to understand that pre-anesthetic blood work does not guarantee the absence of anesthetic complications. It may however, greatly reduce the risk of complications as well as identify medical conditions that could require medical treatment.
The pre-anesthetic blood work checks for:
Complete Blood Count: White blood cells (infection/inflammation), red blood cells (anemia/dehydration) and platelets (aid with blood clotting).
Biochemistry: Glucose (diabetes/hyperglycemia), ALT/ALKP/Bilirubin (liver), CREA/BUN/Phosphorus (kidney), Calcium (certain cancers, parathyroid function), Cholesterol (lipid diseases/liver), Albumin/Total Protein (proteins/hydration).
Senior patients:
T4 (thyroid): The thyroid gland is important for metabolism of all cells in the body. This is especially important to check in cats over the age of 10 years, especially if they have weight loss and dogs of any age with low energy or are overweight.
Blood work is mandatory if your pet is over 1 year of age.
Medications and Supplements
This includes medications for managing disease, human medications such as tylenol, supplements (fish oils, other joint supplements), etc.
Please provide a detailed list of the medications your pet takes. Please include the drug name, the amount your pet receives and how often your pet is given the medication.