-----Pre-Anesthetic Bloodwork

River Road Veterinary Clinic
Box 309
Norwich, Vermont 05055
Phone: 802-649-3877 Fax: 802-649-1345
email: RRVC@Valley.net.com
www.rrvetclinic.com

Dr. Christine Pinello - Dr. JoAnne Giel - Dr. Kathy Ling Newcomb

PRE-ANESTHETIC BLOODWORK

Here at the River Road Veterinary Clinic, our animal patients undergo surgeries on a daily basis and although many surgeries do not involve any complications, there are still the few that do. We do recommend that our patients have pre-anesthetic blood work done prior to surgery. Even if there are no indications that our pets are ill in any way, a healthy looking pet could have an underlying problem that we would never know about unless blood work were done. As we all know animals cannot talk and they rely on us to find out if anything is wrong. If nothing is wrong, with the blood work, we have at least established a "baseline" or normals for your pets blood values and if anything were to ever happen to your pet down the road and blood work were needed, we could refer back to the previous "baseline" to find out what values are abnormal for your pet.

We offer a few varieties of blood work screens. Each involve different amounts of tests in them depending how in depth the screening is. Below is an outline of which tests are involved with each panel and the cost of each. On the following page is a description of each test and its importance.

Profile with Electrolytes: $ 52.00
This profile includes 12 tests and an electrolyte screen.
We recommend that a QBC is done with this profile - total cost $79.00
This panel is the most involved of all of our panels and most recommended.
Includes:

Pre-anesthetic Panel: $52.00
This profile includes 6 tests and a QBC.
Includes:

Pre-anesthetic Screen: $25.00
This profile includes 3 tests a PCV (pack cell volume) and a Total Protein (TP)
Includes:

QBC:
Alone this blood profile costs $27.00.

Blood Chemistry Tests:

Albumin (ALB)
A protein which is produced by the liver. Reduced levels of this protein can point
to chronic liver or kidney disease, intestinal disease, or intestinal parasites.

Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)
An enzyme that becomes elevated with liver disease or injury.

Alkaline Phosphatase (ALKP)
An enzyme produced by the cells lining the bladder and its associated ducts.
Elevated levels can indicate liver disease or Cushing's syndrome.

Amylase (AMYL)
An enzyme produced by the pancreas. The pancreas secretes amylase to aid in digestion. Elevated blood levels can indicate pancreatic and/or kidney disease.

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
BUN is produced by the liver and excreted by the kidneys. Abnormal levels can indicate dehydration, and liver and kidney abnormalities.

Calcium (Ca +2)
Increased levels can be seen with diseases of the parathyroid gland and kidneys or as an indicator of certain types of tumors.

Cholesterol (CHOL)
Elevated levels of cholesterol are seen in a variety of disorders, including genetic disease, liver and kidney disease and hypothyroidism.

Creatinine (CREA)
Creatinine is a by-product of muscle metabolism and is excreted by the kidneys. Elevated levels can indicate kidney disease or urinary tract obstruction.

Glucose (GLU)
High levels can indicate diabetes. In cats, high levels can indicate stress, which can merely be a result of the trip to the vet. Low levels can indicate liver disease, infection, or certain tumors.

Phosphorous (PHOS)
Elevated phosphorous can be an indicator of kidney disease.

Total Bilirubin (TBIL)
Bilirubin is a breakdown product of hemoglobin and is a component of bile. Bilirubin is secreted by the liver into the intestinal tract. Blood bilirubin levels are useful in diagnosing anemia and problems in the bile ducts.

Total Protein (TP)
The level of TP can detect a variety of conditions including dehydration and diseases of the liver, kidney or gastrointestinal tract.

Electrolytes:

Sodium, Potassium, Chloride (Na+, K+, Cl-)
The balance of these electrolytes is vital to your pet's health. Abnormal levels can be life threatening. Electrolyte tests are important in evaluating vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and cardiac (heart) symptoms.

Hematology:

PCV (pack cell volume)
Provides information on the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) present in the blood. This test is used to diagnose anemia.

QBC
A more complete panel of tests, a QBC, provides detailed information on RBC's, WBC's (white blood cells) and platelets. These tests can indicate anemia, infection, leukemia, stress, the presence of inflammation, or an inability to fight infection. Platelets are involved in blood clotting and if low can indicate a bleeding problem.

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