Blood tests help a determine causes of illness accurately, safely, and quickly and let us monitor the progress of medical treatments. Optimum Veterinary is able to perform CBC's and serum profiles at our office. We are able do have blood work in about 10-15 minutes in our office. We want you to understand our recommendations and be a partner in your pet's care.
COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (CBC)
The most common blood test, a CBC gives information on hydration status, anemia, infection, the blood's clotting ability, and the immune system's ability to respond. This test is essential for pets with fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, pale gums, or loss of appetite. If your pet needs surgery, a CBC can detect unseen abnormalities.
-HCT hematocrit measures the percentage of red blood cells to detect anemia and dehydration.
-Hb & MCHC hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration measure hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment of red blood cells corpuscles.
-WBC white blood cell count measures the body's immune cells, increases or decreases indicate certain diseases or infections
-GRANS & L/M granulocytes and lymphocytes/monocytes are specific types of white blood cells.
-EOS eosinophils are a specific type of white blood cells that if elevated, may indicate allergic or parasitic conditions.
-PLT platelet count measures cells that help stop bleeding by forming blood clots
-RETICS reticulocytes are immature red blood cells. High or low levels help classify anemias.
BLOOD SERUM PROFILES
These common tests evaluate organ functions, electrolyte, hormone levels and more. They are important in evaluation the health of older pets, pets with vomiting and diarrhea or toxin exposure, pets receiving long term medications, and preanesthetic patients.
-ALB albumin is a serum protein that helps evaluate hydration, hemorrhage, and intestinal, liver, and kidney health.
-ALKP alkaline phosphatase elevations may indicate liver damage, Cushing's disease, and active bone growth in young pets.
-ALT alanine aminotransferase is a sensitive indicator of active liver damage but doesn't indicate the cause.
-AMYL amylase elevations show pancreatitis or kidney disease.
-AST aspartate aminotransferase increases may indicate liver, heart, or skeletal muscle damage.
-BUN blood urea nitrogen reflects kidney function. An increased blood level is called azotemia and can be caused by kidney, liver, and heart disease, urethral obstruction, shock, and dehydration.
-Ca calcium deviations can indicate a variety of diseases. Tumors, hyperparathyroidism, kidney disease, and low albumin are just a few of the conditions that alter serum calcium.
-CHOL cholesterol is used to supplement diagnosis of hypothyroidism, liver disease, Cushing's disease, and diabetes mellitus.
-CL choloride is an electrolyte often lost with vomiting and Addison's disease. Elevations often indicate dehydration.
-CREA creatinine reveals kidney function. This test helps distinguish between kidney and nonkidney cause of elevated BUN.
-GGT gamma glutamyl transferase is an enzyme that when elevated, indicates liver disease or cortiocosteroid excess.
-GLOB globulin is a blood protein that often increases with chronic inflammation and certain disease states.
-GLU glucose is blood sugar. Elevated levels may indicate diabetes mellitus. Low levels can cause collapse, seizures or coma.
-K potassium is an electrolyte lost with vomiting, diarrhea or excessive urination. Increase levels may indicated kidney failure, Addison's disease, dehydration, and urethral obstruction. High levels can lead to cardiac arrest.
-LIP lipase is an enzyme that may indicate pancreatitis when elevated.
-Na sodium is an electrolyte lost with vomiting, diarrhea, and kidney or Addison's diseases. This test helps indicate hydration status.
-PHOS phosphorus elevations are often associated with kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and bleeding disorders.
-TBIL total bilirubin elevations may indicate liver or hemolytic disease. This test helps identify bile duct problelms and certain types of anemia.
-TP total protein indicates hydration status and provides information about the liver, kidney, and infections diseases.
-T4 thyroxine is a thyroid hormone. Decreased level often signal hypothyroidism in dogs, while high levels indicate hyperthryoidism in cats.