Blood Tests and the Information they
provide
Benefits of testing now and throughout your pet's life.
As with your own regular health check-ups, testing on a regular basis lets us monitor your pet's health over its lifetime and enables us to detect any
potential problems early on.
If your pet has had a blood test recently
you may have been told that your pet has 'raised liver enzymes' or that the
'urea was high'. To help you understand these results, listed below
are the main blood tests that we use in veterinary practice and a brief
description of their significance.
Blood Chemistry Tests
Albumin (ALB)
Produced by the liver, reduced levels of this protein can point to chronic liver or kidney disease, or parasitic infections such as hookworm.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
An enzyme that becomes elevated with liver disease.
Alkaline Phosphate (ALKP)
An enzyme produced by the biliary tract (liver). Elevated levels can indicate liver disease or Cushing's syndrome.
Amylase (AMYL)
The pancreas produces and secrets amylase to aid in digestion. Elevated blood levels can indicate pancreatic and/or
kidney disease.
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
BUN is produced by the liver and excreted by the kidneys. Testing for it helps to detect liver and kidney abnormalities.
Calcium
(Ca)
Increased levels of this mineral can be an indicator of certain types of tumors, parathyroid or kidney disease.
Cholesterol
(CHOL)
Elevated levels of cholesterol are seen in a variety of disorders including hypothyroidism,
diabetes mellitus and diseases of the liver or kidney.
Creatinine (CREA)
Creatinine is a by-product of muscle metabolism and is excreted by the kidneys. Elevated levels can indicate kidney disease or urinary obstruction.
Glucose
(GLU)
High levels can help diagnose diabetes and can indicate stress - especially in cats. Low levels can indicate liver
disease or tumours of the pancreas.
Lipase
The pancreas produces and secrets amylase to aid in digestion. Elevated blood levels can indicate pancreatic
disease.
Phosphorus
(PHOS)
Can be an indicator of kidney disease when elevated.
Total Bilirubin
(TBIL)
A component of bile, bilirubin is secreted by the liver into the intestinal tract.
Blood bilirubin levels are useful in diagnosing problems in the bile ducts.
Total Protein
(TP)
The level of TP can suggest a variety of conditions including dehydration and diseases of the liver, kidney or gastrointestinal tract.
Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Chloride)
The balance of these chemicals is vital to your pet's health. Abnormal levels can be life threatening. Electrolyte tests are important in evaluating vomiting, diarrhoea and cardiac symptoms.
Haematology tests
A variety of tests analyze and measure individual blood cells:
Haematocrit
(HCT) or Packed Cell Volume (PCV)
Provides information on the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) present in the blood. This test is used to diagnose
anaemia.
Complete Blood Count
(CBC)
A more complete panel of tests, a CBC provides detailed information on red blood
cells, white blood cells and platelets. These tests can indicate the presence of inflammation, stress or an inability to fight infection. Low platelets can indicate a potentially serious problem such as bleeding during or after surgery.
Morphologic Inspection
Looking at the cells through a microscope can provide information on the type of anaemia or inflammation, or other abnormalities.
