Should my pet have one? Find out if your pet should have a in-house blood test before undergoing an anaesthetic. One of the greatest concerns of pet owners is anaesthetic and surgical safety.

All procedures done under anaesthetic have some degree of risk. However, you can rest assured that with our use of modern safer drugs, the risks are often low and any increased risk is often related to age or an underlying medical condition.  Naturally a young fit pet has a lower risk than an older pet or one with a medical condition.

For older pets or those with medical conditions we recommend pre-anaesthetic blood tests as a way to further minimise and manage the risks involved with anaesthesia by assessing how your pet's internal system is functioning prior to administrating any anaesthetic. When we perform these tests we are checking:

• Kidney and liver function - ensuring the body is capable of processing the anaesthetic drugs
• Blood cell counts - checking for anaemia, dehydration, infection
• Blood sugar levels - to determine the risk of seizure and checking for diabetes
• Protein levels - these can affect healing and surgical risk if too low

None of these can be detected in the normal pre surgery physical exam.

A pre-anaesthetic blood evaluation provides the Vet with a window inside your pet to help ensure that the anaesthetic procedure is as safe as possible.

Also without a blood test, dysfunction of the liver and kidney will only be apparent when the disease is advanced. Blood testing even in young fit pets can be beneficial as it can pick up problems much earlier than any physical examination ever could.

Because older pets are at the most risk under anaesthetic, pre-anaesthetic blood tests are essential. They are also very useful in young pets to ensure everything is in normal working order. The more information we have about your pet, inside and out, the more we can tailor their anaesthetic appropriately. These blood tests are also recorded as part of your pets medical records and provide a valuable baseline for it's ongoing care and health management.

All tests are done in our Geraldton Veterinary Clinic and the results are available straight away. If there are any concerns we will contact you to discuss the medical options available.