Clinton Veterinary Hospital
You probably know when your pet is due for vaccines. You may even know exactly when their flea, tick, or heartworm prevention is due.
But when was their last blood test?
If you cannot remember, you are in good company.
Bloodwork is one of those parts of veterinary care that may happen on different schedules for different pets. At Clinton Veterinary Hospital, we may recommend it to establish a healthy baseline, investigate symptoms, prepare for anesthesia, or monitor an ongoing condition.
Here is how to think about bloodwork throughout your pet’s life.
What Are We Checking in the First Place?
When we recommend bloodwork, we are usually looking at several different measurements.
A complete blood count checks red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A chemistry panel gives us information related to kidney and liver values, blood sugar, proteins, electrolytes, and other internal processes.
Depending on your pet’s age and health, we may recommend additional testing such as a urinalysis or thyroid test.
One abnormal number does not automatically mean your pet has a disease. We interpret results together with the physical exam, medical history, symptoms, and previous testing.
Young Pets: Bloodwork Usually Has a Specific Purpose
Healthy puppies and kittens generally do not need comprehensive bloodwork at every routine visit.
We may recommend testing if your young pet is sick or if something about their development concerns us.
Poor appetite, repeated vomiting or diarrhea, weakness, low energy, or poor growth can all be reasons to look closer.
Bloodwork is also commonly recommended before anesthesia.
If your puppy or kitten is scheduled for a spay, neuter, or another procedure, pre-anesthetic testing gives us additional information before medications are given.
Adult Pets: This Is a Good Time to Establish Normal
Adult pets often seem wonderfully predictable.
That makes adulthood a useful time to establish baseline bloodwork.
When we know what your pet’s results look like while they feel healthy, we can compare those numbers with future tests.
That comparison can sometimes help us recognize a change earlier than we could from one result alone.
Some adult pets may have bloodwork every year as part of preventive care. Others may follow a different schedule depending on age, breed, lifestyle, health history, medications, and previous results.
Senior Pets: The Calendar Often Changes
As pets get older, bloodwork often becomes a more regular part of preventive care.
Senior dogs and cats have a higher chance of developing chronic health problems. Kidney disease, diabetes, liver changes, thyroid conditions, and anemia are a few examples.
The first signs may be subtle.
Maybe your dog starts drinking more water. Your cat slowly loses weight. Your pet sleeps more, eats differently, or needs to urinate more often.
Tell us about those changes.
Some senior pets may benefit from bloodwork every six to twelve months. Pets with chronic conditions, medications, or previous abnormalities may need testing more frequently.
There is no universal senior age. Larger dogs generally reach their senior years sooner than smaller dogs.
Your Pet Does Not Have to Look Seriously Sick
Pet owners sometimes wait because a symptom does not seem “bad enough” yet.
You do not have to wait for a dramatic change.
Persistent vomiting or diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, increased thirst, frequent urination, poor appetite, weakness, pale gums, collapse, significant tiredness, or a meaningful behavior change are all reasons to contact your veterinarian.
Bloodwork may help us figure out what direction to investigate.
It may not provide the complete answer, but it can help determine whether additional testing or treatment is needed.
Medication Monitoring May Mean More Frequent Testing
If your pet takes medication every day, their bloodwork schedule may be different from another pet the same age.
Certain medications can affect organs, blood cells, electrolytes, or other measurements. In other cases, bloodwork helps us determine whether treatment is working.
Your pet may need a recheck after starting a medication, after a dose change, and then periodically once everything is stable.
Even when they feel great, those tests can still matter.
Before Anesthesia: Another Important Time for Bloodwork
Bloodwork is commonly recommended before surgery or another procedure requiring anesthesia.
A physical exam tells us a lot, but it cannot measure everything happening inside your pet’s body.
If testing reveals something unexpected, we may adjust the plan, recommend additional testing, or postpone an elective procedure.
If the results are normal, that information is still valuable and becomes part of your pet’s medical history.
So, When Should the Next Blood Test Be?
The answer depends on your pet.
A young healthy dog may only need testing at certain points. An adult pet may benefit from periodic screening. A senior pet may need more regular bloodwork, and a pet with a chronic condition may have an individualized schedule.
At Clinton Veterinary Hospital, we can help you figure out what is appropriate based on your pet’s age, health history, medications, lifestyle, and previous results.
If you cannot remember their last blood test, ask us at the next visit. We can check their records and let you know whether they are due.