When your pet comes to Huntingdale Veterinary Centre and has a surigcal procedure under anaesthetic you will be offered a pre-anaesthetic blood test.  This is done to give our veterinarians more information about how your pet’s health to ensure its anaesthetic will be as safe as possible giving you unparralleled peace of Mind your pet is in good hands. 

The blood test is performed on the morning of the surgery as this gives the vet an up-to-date assessment of your pet’s health. 

The test is a very simple procedure.  The blood sample is collected from a vein in the foreleg or neck and this takes only a few seconds, though the area may be clipped. 

The testing includes:

Haematology - this will assess the white and red blood cells. If the red blood cells are low it means that your pet is anaemic and this is of obvious concern especially if the surgery may to cause some blood loss. If the red blood cell level is high this is most likely a sign of dehydration so the veterinarian is likely to put your pet on to intravenous fluids prior to the anaesthetic.

A high white blood cell count is often a sign of infection so your pet may need to be put on to antibiotics.

Chemistry - The liver and the kidneys are the main organs that remove the anaesthetic drugs from the body so it is important to know that these are functioning well. Often liver and kidney disease goes unnoticed for many years until an animal has an anaesthetic and either recovers poorly or goes into kidney or liver failure.  

The liver is checked by measuring leakage of liver enzymes in the blood, which happens normally but at very low levels.  If there is any damage to the liver cells they release these enzymes into the blood and cause the levels to rise, which is then detected on the blood test. These results may indicate liver function problems or underlying hormonal diseases that may require treatment before your animal will be safe to anaesthetise.
The Kidneys: This is a big one especially for cats and older dogs. Kidney testing involves the measuring of two toxins in the blood that indicate kidney function.  Urea and creatinine are usually filtered out of the blood and into the urine by the kidneys so their levels in the blood are kept low.  When the kidney filter is not working efficiently, their levels build up and may be an indicator of kidney disease or dehydration. Your veterinarian may suggest intravenous fluids or it may be necessary to cancel the surgery due to safety concerns and seek medical treatment if possible

This service is recommended to all our patients having a general anaesthetic making it a safer and better experience for you and your pet. Anaesthetics are a big deal and we want your pet to go home happy and healthy.