Canine Blood Screening
Blood screening for disease is a routine procedure in both human and veterinary medicine.
A blood screen is the chemical and physical analysis of a small sample of blood. This analysis gives us a good overview of your dog's overall health status.
With many disease processes, we will see subtle changes in the blood screen even before symptoms of disease become evident.
When these changes can be detected early, we can often make changes in the diet or institute medications that will yield a longer, healthier life for your dog.
Periodic blood screens are recommended, especially for older animals, as part of a routine health check.
A pre-anesthetic blood screen may also be suggested by your veterinarian for any animal who will be undergoing anesthesia and/or sedation. This allows your veterinarian to more completely insure that your dog is healthy and can safely undergo his/her procedure.
Blood screening can frequently detect problems that would make anesthesia or sedation dangerous for your dog. Abnormal results may indicate a need to change the anesthetic protocol or even delay anesthesia or sedation until the problem is resolved.
Problems can be and are detected in animals of all ages, even young animals. However, as your dog ages, the chance of organ dysfunction increases also.
Your dog's blood screen may include all or some of the tests listed below (the organs examined with each test are also listed):
- COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT: Overall Body Condition (can provide evidence of anemia, infections, or inflammation)
- BLOOD UREA NITROGEN (BUN): Kidney Function.
- CREATININE: Kidney Function.
- SGPT: Liver Function
- ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE: Liver Function.
- BILIRUBIN: Liver Function.
- BLOOD SUGAR: Pancreas Function (Possibility of Diabetes
- CALCIUM: Bone Content.
- TOTAL PROTEIN: Kidney, Liver, Intestinal Disease
- ALBUMIN: Kidney, Liver, Intestinal Disease
- AMYLASE: Pancreatic Disease, Kidney Disease
- PHOSPHORUS: Electrolyte Balance
- SODIUM: Electrolyte Balance
- POTASSIUM: Electrolyte Balance
- GLOBULIN: Intestinal Disease, Immune Function (can indicate presence of antibodies)
- T4: Thyroid function
