In-House Laboratory

Bloodwork

We run lab samples in-house at Claws & Paws Veterinary Hospital when needed, but we send samples to a local laboratory and typically receive the results within a day or two.

What is bloodwork and what purpose does it serve? Bloodwork is a means of checking your pet’s internal functions in a non-invasive manner. It can alert us to hidden problems that your pet may have.

Different blood tests which are routinely performed:

• Occult – tests for heartworms

• FELV/FIV test for cats

• CBC (red & white blood cell count)

• Serum chemistries check internal organs such as the kidneys, liver, and pancreas. They also monitor intestinal tract and endocrine diseases.

• Diabetic monitoring

• T4 (thyroid test)
  
  

We perform pre-anesthetic testing and emergency work-ups in addition to routine, periodic bloodwork analysis. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is required for all pets undergoing any anesthetic procedure.

We have many problem-specific blood tests that can be run in-house. There are three main bloodwork profiles routinely performed that help us diagnose your pet’s health problems:

Basic

This profile is required for any pet less than 5 years of age undergoing anesthesia. The following tests are included: Packed Cell Volume (PCV) red blood cell percentages, which we use to test for anemia; ALT which checks the liver function and CREATININE which checks kidney functions.

Profile #1

This profile is required for any pet aged 5-7 undergoing anesthesia. The following tests are included: Packed Cell Volume (PCV) red blood cell percentages, which we use to test for anemia; BUN and CREATININE which checks the kidney functions; ALT and ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE which check the liver, GLUCOSE tests for hypoglycemia and diabetes; and TOTAL PROTEIN to monitor the immune system and hydration level.

Profile #2

This profile is required for any pet over 7 years of age undergoing anesthesia. As pets begin to make the journey into their later years (we lovingly call these pets Seniors), semi-annual (or no less than annual) bloodwork analysis is highly critical for early detection of potential health problems. This profile includes a Complete Blood Cell Count (CBC) and comprehensive blood serum chemistry. With the CBC, we assess the volume of red and white blood cells as well as the platelet levels in the blood. Abnormalities with any of these values help to detect anemia, inflammation, acute or chronic infection, bleeding disorders, blood parasites, dehydration, and autoimmune diseases. A blood serum chemistry panel gives us more extensive information concerning the kidneys, liver, pancreas, intestinal tract, and endocrine diseases.
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Profile #3 – FELV/FIV

This profile is for young cats or stray cats and tests for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. These diseases suppress the immune system (very much like the human AIDS virus) and are highly contagious to cats. Fortunately, we are now able to prevent both of these deadly diseases with effective and cost-effective vaccines.