Blood Tests

Regularly monitoring your pet's health is essential, as signs of illness may not always be visible.

Blood testing is one of the most simple and frequently utilized forms of diagnostics performed in the veterinary clinic. At West Hill Animal Clinic, we have the capability to run blood work in the clinic, although most testing is sent to an outside laboratory.

Why does my kitty need blood screening?

Blood testing is used to assess for evidence of many things including infection, organ dysfunction, viruses, and some cancers. Blood testing is typically performed in one of two scenarios:

  1. To diagnose disease in sick animals
  2. As a form of preventative medicine.

We routinely run pre-anesthetic blood prior to every surgery, to ensure that each patient is a good surgical candidate and we recommend annual blood work in our senior pets, as a screen for early disease detection.

When taking blood, the animal is restrained and blood is taken from an appropriate vein. On average, a maximum of three millilitres of blood is required to run most tests.

How long does it take to get a cat’s blood test results?

Depending on the type of blood panel your veterinarian recommends, it is usually sent off to the laboratory and results are typically received within a few days to a week, some tests may take longer. A doctor will typically call you with the results of the blood tests within 24 hours of receiving the results from the laboratory.

What precautions should I take before blood testing?

Depending on why your cat is having blood work done, your veterinary team will inform you of any special instructions prior to testing.

How often should blood testing be done?

Blood tests are typically recommended at each annual check up with your veterinarian. However, depending on your cat’s age and health status, your veterinarian may recommend more frequent blood tests to monitor crucial blood values within your cat and will also help to detect diseases at earlier stages before they have progressed too far, making treatment of certain diseases more effective.

Do you also do urinalysis?

Urinalysis is often performed in conjunction with blood work. This helps your veterinarian get every piece of the puzzle to know how your cat’s organs are functioning.

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