Pet Blood Testing From Our Etobicoke Veterinarian 

You've probably seen our veterinarian draw blood from your pet when you bring it in for its wellness exams, but do you know why? At Richview Animal Hospital we check your pet's blood every time it comes in for a thorough examination. Our goal is to identify any growing medical problems in your dog's or cat's system, and early diagnosis is the key to successfully treating many of these diseases.

With pet blood testing we can rule out or identify a wide variety of health conditions, much more than we could find with simple observation of symptoms. Blood tests get to the core of your pet's health, looking for clues that germs and bacteria leave in order to diagnose diseases early enough for successful treatment.

Etobicoke Vet Explains Blood Testing

When our Etobicoke vet takes a sample of your pet's blood, it's drawn into two tubes: a red-topped one and a purple-topped one. The red-topped tube allows the blood cells inside to clot, which allows our technicians to check the blood serum under a microscope. They'll check for the levels of certain enzymes and other chemicals in the serum, allowing them to see the condition of your pet's internal organs. This is known as a chemistry panel, and it can show problems with the liver, kidneys, and other crucial organs.

The purple-topped tube has a chemical inside that prevents blood from clotting. This allows the technicians to count the white blood cells, which fight infection, and the red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. This is called a complete blood count, or CBC. This can show clues that lead our veterinarian toward diagnosing different health conditions.

What is the Vet Looking For?

Blood tests can uncover a wide range of diseases in both cats and dogs. While illness can happen in pets of any age, it's more common for senior dogs and cats, since their bodies are less resistant to germs and bacteria, and their immune systems are weaker. Some pets can develop diseases for a long time before they show any outward symptoms, so regular blood tests are the only sure way to make sure they're as healthy as they can be. Early detection is always better, and it can sometimes be the key to saving your pet's life. 

Our team will look for many different problems with blood tests, but here are some of the more common problems we find in cats:

• Decreasing kidney function
• Diabetes, which is common in overweight cats
• Overactive thyroid
• Fatty liver

We often see a different group of problems with dogs, as you might expect. The more common ones include:

• Decreasing kidney function
• Cushing's disease, or overactive adrenal glands
• Liver disease
• Underactive thyroid
• Diabetes, which can happen in dogs that aren't overweight

Looking for a New Veterinarian Team? Call Us Today!

Do you have a great relationship with your pet's veterinarian team, or are you looking for a new medical home for your dog or cat? At Richview Animal Hospital our caring team is dedicated to giving the best care to all our furry patients. Give us a call today to find out the difference. You can contact us at (416) 245-8805 for a convenient appointment.