Facts about blood testing and your pet's upcoming surgery
Because they can't tell you....
Four important reasons for testing your pet's
blood prior to surgery:
-
The health and safety of your pet is
our foremost concern.
Because your pet cannot describe symptoms to let us know what might be
wrong, we recommend blood tests to give us the answers we need, especially
before surgery.
-
Blood Chemistry tests provide an
inside look at your pet's vital organs.
By testing blood chemistries, we can evaluate the status of your pet's major
organs. The function of the liver and kidneys is especially important
because these organs process and rid the body of medications used during
anaesthesia.
-
Hematology tests provide an inside
look at the blood itself.
Blood is composed of different types of cells. it is important to know the
status of each prior to surgery.
Red Blood Cells (RBCs) are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the
body.
White Blood Cells (WBCs) are the body's primary means of fighting infection.
Platelets play an important role in blood clotting and are critical in
helping the body to stop bleeding.
-
Results of these tests will determine
your pet's readiness for surgery.
Depending on the results, we may adjust the dose or type of anaesthetic used
or advise delaying surgery.
At Penstone Veterinary Group we have in-house
blood testing facilities. This means that pre-anaesthetic blood testing
can be done on the day of admission, before an anaesthetic is given and we can
discuss the results with you when you come to collect your pet.
