Bloodwork for your pet: what it means and why your pet needs it

Regular and routine blood testing is an important part of your pet’s preventive healthcare.  It used to be that veterinarians only recommended blood work for older pets, but it’s equally important for younger healthy pets.  It’s the best way to detect potential health problems before they become evident through symptoms.  It’s also critically important before your pet undergoes any kind of anesthetic procedure, even a routine dental cleaning.

Dr. Patty Khuly, a Miami, FL veterinarian and author of the popular veterinary blog Dolittler, recently posted two excellent articles about why blood work is so important and what all the different values on a blood test mean.  Part One explains the CBC (Complete Blood Count), and Part Two explains the Blood Chemistry.

Amber, who is probably 11 years old (best guess – she was a stray when I got her as a young adult), gets complete veterinary exams and blood work (CBC, chemistry and thyroid) twice a year.