Huntsville Animal Hospital is well equipped with some of the most advanced and state-of-the-art diagnostics available in general veterinary practice. We are capable of running various tests right in our clinic that would otherwise require being sent to an external laboratory. This drastically reduces the time required to get test results and allows us to act quickly in emergency situations to better serve you and your pet.

One of the most common diagnostic tests at Huntsville Animal Hospital is referred to as “Blood work”. This is a general term that refers to a number of different tests that aid us in determining the internal health of your pet. These tests may include a “complete blood cell count” or C.B.C. and a variety of “Serum Biochemistries”. We even have the capability to run various hormonal tests right in our hospital. Blood work may be indicated in times of illness or injury, however, often blood work tests to help us monitor your pet’s health as part of the comprehensive wellness program for your pet (see “Wellness and Vaccination Programs ”).

 Why Are Blood Tests Important?

• To help detect underlying disease, or disease processes, that may be present in your pet that are not detectable with a general physical exam.
• To help make sure that organ function, particularly the hepatic (liver) and renal (kidney) function is adequate to breakdown and metabolize the medications and/or anesthetics used with your pet.
• To act as a baseline for future reference if blood work is again indicated- such as with future surgeries, illness states, monitoring of detected disease states, etc.).
• To give us more assurance in proceeding with a particular anesthetic/surgical procedure for you pet.

Blood work is a very easy and relatively inexpensive way to help us monitor your pet’s on-going health. If you have questions regarding blood work for you pet, or any of the associated reasons for blood work to be done with your pet, please do not hesitate to ask. Our goal is to make sure you understand the benefits of routine blood work in conjunction with your pet’s comprehensive wellness program.