Clayton Animal Hospital 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.