Bloodwork

Bloodwork is used to understand the overall well-being of a patient. This diagnostic tool can be used to detect unknown health problems in cats and dogs. At Rutland Pet Hospital we are proud to offer this service in-house along with urine analysis and doppler blood pressure measurements.

Why is bloodwork necessary for my pet?

Here are some reasons why we require bloodwork for our patients:

1. To learn about your cat or dog’s baseline health information. This is very important for new patients. Understanding the patient’s normal blood levels can help us identify when something is wrong.
2. Your pet has an upcoming surgery. Pre-anesthetic blood tests are mandatory to identify unknown health problems and reveal information about organ health. With the results from the blood test your veterinarian can determine if your pet is healthy enough for surgery.
3. Your pet is about to start a new medication or treatment.
4. The patient is showing signs of illness. Bloodwork can diagnose anemia, kidney problems, infections, diabetes and liver disease.

How can I prepare my pet for a blood test?

The process of collecting a sample will be quite easy as our team is expertly trained to do so without any discomfort to your pet. In order to get a good blood sample, it's best that the patient fasts for at least 8 hours before the appointment. If your pet is on a special diet or medication be sure to disclose this to our team so that we can provide special preparation instructions.