when will my veterinarian recommend a blood test for my cat?

Sometimes, such as in the case of an eye or ear infection, your feline friend's medical condition affords a veterinarian the opportunity for a relatively straightforward diagnosis. However, sometimes your cat's presentation results in the need for further examination. In such a case, your veterinarian will order feline blood tests to aid in the investigation. The following situations can result in the need for blood tests for cats:
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• At the first veterinary visit: This is recommended to establish healthy baseline tests, and also check for any congenital abnormalities or potential concerns, and help us form an individual wellness plan for your cat.
• Pre-anesthetic tests: Cat blood work is used to determine the general health of the liver, kidneys, and other organs, which helps a veterinarian select the safest form of anesthesia. Blood work can also help determine the surgical risk level in all cats, especially elderly or injured patients.
• During semi-annual and/or annual wellness exams: Cat blood tests are usually recommended for all life stages from kitten to geriatric cats as part of their periodic wellness exams. These are extremely beneficial in our mature patients, as we often see cats return to a more youthful state of being when blood tests identify an issue that can be easily treated. Cat blood work, along with other bodily fluids like urine, can help identify conditions the examination portion of a physical cannot.
• If a cat seems not quite right: Cat blood tests are suitable for cats that are not displaying any overt signs of illness, disease or injury, but are acting abnormal.
• Prior to starting a new medication or to monitor patients taking medications long-term: Particularly for any medication that may be metabolized by the liver or kidneys.

Feline blood tests are usually recommended in some manner for all life stages of cats as part of their wellness exams. These are extremely beneficial in establishing a baseline of normal values for an individual cat at a specific stage of life. The doctors at Shane Vet review your cat's blood work to form an individual preventative wellness plan allowing early detection of trends that may lead to a disease process.  Blood tests are performed with feline friendly handling at the forefront and often rewards immediately following the procedure. This experience allows your cat to feel as in control as possible and aids in a positive experience for a lifetime of great veterinary care.
 
At Shane Veterinary Medical Center, blood tests for cats are either processed and analyzed on premises using our in-house laboratory, or sent to our reference laboratory. Having an on-site laboratory allows us to quickly and reliably determine and diagnose a health concern and then implement a successful medical intervention based on the results.

common types of feline bloodwork

• Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: This is a common test for kittens and cats, especially those with unknown origins. These viruses are interspecies contagious and can be life-threatening, so we recommend feline bloodwork to test for both if you adopt, find, or take in a new kitten or cat, at each life stage, and if they become ill.
• Complete Blood Count (CBC): We analyze cat bloodwork to assess features of the blood, including red and white cell count, immunity status, and the measure of hemoglobin, which is the actual substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen. We also examine hydration status, anemia, infection, blood clotting ability and immune system response. A CBC is often essential for cats that have symptoms like fever, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, pale gums or loss of appetite. A CBC can also detect bleeding disorders or other unseen abnormalities as part of a pre-anesthetic risk assessment.
• Blood Serum Chemistry: We analyze cat bloodwork to evaluate organ function, electrolyte status, hormone levels and more. These tests are important in evaluating the health of all cats especially as they get older, cats with signs of vomiting, diarrhea or toxin exposure, as well as cats receiving long-term medications and general health before anesthesia.
• Total Thyroid Level: We analyze cat bloodwork for hyperthyroidism, a disease that will have significant effects in a cat's body if not treated.

what can be learned from my cat's blood tests?

The results of feline blood tests are essential to helping veterinarians diagnose and treat medical conditions both within the blood itself, as well as in organs such as the kidney and liver. During a blood test for cats, various chemicals in the blood stream are analyzed. Some examples are:

• Cat blood tests can indicate a deficiency in albumin levels, which indicates a possible liver issue because albumin is produced in the liver, or intestinal or kidney issue as albumin can be lost if these are diseased.
• Blood tests for cats can detect abnormal hormonal-chemical responses to environmental and internal stimuli, which indicates a potential issue with the patient's endocrine system.

​Once we establish a correlation, we can order any subsequent feline bloodwork or procedures necessary in diagnosing and treating the condition. In this way, feline blood tests serve as very valuable tools in a veterinarian's toolkit for helping to detect, identify, diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent illness or disease.

understanding my cat's bloodwork results

After we process and analyze a cat bloodwork sample, the next step is to help you fully understand any abnormal results. Your cat's bloodwork allows our veterinarians to evaluate the following:

• Albumin (ALB): This is a serum protein that helps evaluate hydration, hemorrhage, and intestinal, liver, and kidney disease. 
• Alkaline phosphatase (ALKP): Elevations in this test may indicate liver disease, gall bladder disease, pancreatic disease, or active bone growth in a young cat. This test is especially significant in cats.
• Alanine aminotansferase (ALT): This test may determine active liver damage, but does not indicate the cause. 
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST): Increases in this test may indicate liver, heart, or skeletal muscle damage.
• Blood urea nitrogen (BUN): This test  helps to determines kidney function and intestinal disease. An increased level can be caused by kidney, liver, gastrointestinal, as well as urethral obstruction, shock, or dehydration.
• Calcium (Ca): Changes in the normal level of this test can indicate a variety of diseases. Tumors, hyperparathyroidism, and kidney disease are just a few of the conditions that alter serum calcium.
• Chloride (Cl): Chloride is an electrolyte that is typically lost with symptoms like vomiting. Elevations often indicate dehydration.
• Creatinine (CREA): This test reveals kidney function and helps distinguish between kidney and non-kidney causes of elevated BUN.
• Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (GGT): This is an enzyme that indicates liver, gall bladder, and bile duct disease. 
• Globulin (GLOB): This is a blood protein that often increases with chronic inflammation and certain diseases.
• Glucose (GLU): Glucose is a blood sugar. Elevated levels may indicate diabetes mellitus. Low levels can cause collapse, seizures, or coma.
• Potassium (K): This is an electrolyte typically lost with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive urination. Increased levels may indicate kidney failure, dehydration, or urethral obstruction. High levels can lead to cardiac arrest.
• SDMA: This value is used as a means of early detection of kidney disease in cats. Both primary kidney disease and secondary kidney insults, such as concurrent disease, can cause an elevation in SDMA concentration. We can further investigate elevated SDMA concentrations to determine whether acute, active, or chronic injury is occurring.
• Sodium (Na): Sodium is an electrolyte often lost with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, kidney disease, and others. This test helps indicate hydration status.
• Phosphorus (PHOS): Abnormalities in this test are often associated with kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and bleeding disorders.
• Total bilirubin (TBIL): Elevations in this test may indicate liver or hemolytic disease. This test helps identify bile duct problems and certain types of anemia.
• Total protein: This test indicates hydration status and provides additional information about the liver, kidneys, and infectious diseases.
• Thyroxine (T4): Thyroxine is a thyroid hormone. High levels indicate hyperthyroidism in cats.

what role does my cat's bloodwork's have in diagnosing disease?

Feline bloodwork is an essential component in the diagnosis of disease. Just like any diagnostic tool, blood tests for cats are more effective when used as part of a diagnostic plan which may include other tests. For example, elevated BUN and creatinine levels can indicate a kidney problem. However, they can also indicate mild dehydration in the period leading up to the bloodwork. This is why ordering additional testing is necessary to obtain an accurate diagnosis.