Pre-op Bloodwork

I recently adopted an adult dog from the
local animal shelter. Her name is Pookie,
and she is a wonderful addition to our
home. As soon as we adopted Pookie, I
took her to my veterinarian for a thorough
exam and we made an appointment to have
Pookie spayed. It has been quite a while
since we last had a new pet, so when the
doctor asked if I was interested in
pre-operative bloodwork, I was unsure of
what to do. What is pre-operative bloodwork
and what are the benefits of such a
procedure?

When an animal is about to undergo
anesthesia, it is always a good idea to draw a
few milliliters of blood and do some testing.
After the blood is drawn, it may be sent out to
a lab, or it may be run "in-house" if your
veterinarian has that capability. For a young,
healthy animal the two tests most commonly
run are the complete blood count and the
chemistry screen. The complete blood count is
used to determine the number and types of
cells in the blood, which may allow a
veterinarian to diagnose anemia, infection and
certain types of cancer. The chemistry screen
is an important test which evaluates function of
several organs, the most important being the
liver and kidneys. These organs are important
in animals undergoing anesthesia because
they function to remove the anesthetic from the
body.

If your animal is older or showing clinical signs
of disease, other tests may be necessary.
Geriatric cats commonly develop
hyperthyroidism, which can make anesthesia
an increased risk. Thus, older cats should be
checked for hyperthyroidism periodically and
prior to elective surgeries. Similarly, older dogs
may require additional bloodwork if an
endocrine or metabolic disorder is suspected.

The decision to do pre-operative bloodwork
rests on the shoulders of the pet owner, under
the guidance of their veterinarian. Favorable
pre-operative bloodwork is not a guarantee that
all will go well with your pet's anesthetic
procedure, but it allows your doctor to assess
organ function and modify anesthetic protocols
as needed to have the best chance for a good
outcome. If you have any questions about
pre-operative bloodwork, your veterinarian can
help decide what's right for your individual pet.