Animals are experts at adapting to pain and illness and often don’t show physical symptoms until a disease is in an advanced stage. Routine blood testing helps veterinarians detect illnesses and infections early.
Treatment is often less invasive and less costly when a disease is in its infancy, but more importantly, early medical intervention can save your pet’s life and greatly increase the chance of a complete recovery.
Kim Downes, DVM, of Texas’s AAHA-accredited Animal Hospital of Rowlett & Diagnostic Center, recommends young, healthy dogs and cats undergo blood tests at least annually. Senior pets should be tested every six months.
Blood tests won’t hurt your pet, but not having them done could. Downes says, “An adverse reaction to simple blood collection procedures is extremely rare in our experience and far outweighed by the knowledge gained from the results.” |
Downes elaborates, stating, “In general, the number of [tests] will increase as the pet ages. We have frequency recommendations based on a pet’s overall health, age, chronic medications or health problems, and any anesthetic procedures being planned for that patient… A typical screening for patients of all ages includes a chemistry panel and a complete blood cell count [CBC].”
Veterinarians use CBCs to monitor a pet’s response to some treatments and to evaluate a pet for anemia, infections, and leukemia. The blood-chemistry panel helps your veterinarian monitor your pet’s organ function.
Your veterinarian will likely recommend an annual blood test to detect heartworm infections, as well. Downes notes, “The Heartworm Society changed its guidelines a few years ago to encourage all practitioners to test annually and administer year-round prevention. Annual testing allows us to detect infections earlier and increase the successfulness of any necessary treatment.”
Behind the Scenes: Drawing Blood
As with any procedure, veterinary professionals take care to minimize your pet’s stress during a blood draw.
Cindy Hauser, a certified veterinary technician at AAHA-accredited Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in Colorado offers reassurance, “We do the draws as quickly as possible and get the pets right back to their owners. We always give the pet a cookie. We want the animals to have a good experience and not associate hospitals with trauma.”
Hauser explains that blood draws are done in a quiet, separate area, and elaborates, “We always have two technicians involved.”
Occasionally, pets must be anesthetized for blood draws, such as when blood needs to be drawn from an infected wound or other sensitive location.
Some owners are concerned their animals might be muzzled, but Hauser explains, “We rarely muzzle an animal unless the owner recommends that we use a muzzle or if the owner brings their pet in muzzled already.” |
Downes explains that even if your pet is young and healthy, routine blood testing is necessary to establish a baseline against which your veterinarian can compare future test results.
“Last year’s food contaminations provided a sobering example in which regular screening can be very valuable,” says Downes. “We had several patients whose previous lab reports documented no detectable renal problems prior to the contaminated food exposure. The historical data from regular screenings can be invaluable in developing that patient’s baseline and trends.”
Blood tests won’t hurt your pet, but not having them done could. Downes says, “An adverse reaction to simple blood collection procedures is extremely rare in our experience and far outweighed by the knowledge gained from the results.”
Prices vary according to the type of blood draw, whether anesthesia is required, and whether the blood can be tested in-house.
Ask your veterinarian which tests are particularly relevant for your pet’s age and unique circumstances. Based on your pet’s results, your veterinarian may recommend additional testing.
This article originally appeared in PetsMatter Volume 3 Issue 1, published by the American Animal Hospital Association. Copyright © 2009 AAHA. Find out more.