We answer all your questions about veterinary bloodwork panels here.
As long as your pet is healthy, the day-to-day expenses are pretty modest (especially compared with a kid who expects a college fund). However, when a pet does get sick, you can’t be blamed for worrying about your pet’s health and the vet’s bill. While bloodwork may seem like just another added expense, it’s the most cost-effective way to protect your pet’s health from “surprise” illnesses, ineffective medicines, and potentially dangerous medical procedures.
My pet is healthy, so why do they need bloodwork?
Bloodwork is part of your pet’s annual wellness panel to keep them healthy. It gives us a baseline to accurately measure changes in your pet’s behavior and health. Pets often hide pain, which makes it especially important to have a sense of what is “normal” for your pet. In addition, many diseases are asymptomatic until they are in advanced stages. Bloodwork gives us early warnings about potential threats to your pet’s health, so we can address them before they become serious and expensive.
Why does the vet need to run bloodwork after a condition is diagnosed?
After your dog or cat is diagnosed with a condition, we run bloodwork panels so we know that the prescribed treatment is working. If it’s not working, bloodwork gives us clues about why it’s not working so we can pursue a different course of treatment. Ultimately, this prevents us from wasting time and money on ineffective treatments while allowing us to tailor treatments to your pet’s condition.
Why can’t my vet prescribe medication without bloodwork?
Underlying conditions can impact the safety and effectiveness of medications, so it’s important that we have a clear picture of your pet’s health when we write a prescription. For example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Rimadyl, Deramaxx, and Previcox can affect your pet’s kidney functioning. However, a kidney can function at 25% capacity without any symptoms. Prescribing a NSAID to a cat or dog with an undiagnosed kidney disease could further compromise your pet’s kidney function or speed along deterioration. A blood panel also gives us accurate information for determining the best dosage for your pet to ensure effectiveness and prevent overdose.
Is bloodwork before anesthesia really necessary?
Absolutely. It’s true that anesthesia won’t cause problems for most healthy pets, but it can be dangerous for pets with health issues. Because bloodwork reveals hidden health threats like kidney failure and cancer, a panel before anesthesia ensures your vet is using the safest anesthesia standards for your pet’s condition.
Bloodwork gives us a clear picture of your pet’s health.
Bloodwork may seem like an extra expense, but it’s ultimately a money-saver and potentially a life-saver. It can catch diseases early enough to address them and guide treatments and prescriptions for better outcomes. At Gloves City Veterinary Hospital, we believe pets are family, and the surest way to keep our family members safe and healthy is to prevent ailments before they occur. Proactive pet care makes for happy pets and happy families, so contact us today at 518-725-8117 to schedule your pet for a visit.
