Veterinary Labwork at Blue Ravine Animal Hospital; veterinary clinic; Folsom CA

Laboratory Tests and Diagnostics Available at Folsom's Blue Ravine Animal Hospital

What does a basic blood panel include and what do my results mean?
Blood work is a basic evaluation tool which helps screen for disease, monitor disease progression, or monitor response to treatment of disease. There are many different blood tests that may be performed, each providing us with different information about your pet’s health.

The most commonly run blood panel is a combination of a complete blood count (CBC) and a blood chemical analysis. When the blood sample is drawn from your pet, both the cells and the fluid they "travel" in are examined. The cells are analyzed in the CBC, the fluid is analyzed in the chemistry panel.

The CBC

The CBC is one of the most common tests performed on pets and people. A CBC gives us information on hydration status, anemia, infection, clotting ability, and the ability of the immune system to respond to disease. This test is essential for pets with fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, pale gums, or loss of appetite. If your pet needs surgery, a CBC can detect bleeding disorders, infections, or other unseen abnormalities. As implied in its name, the CBC is used to determine the specific number of various blood cells present in your pet’s blood. Commonly looked at components of the CBC include:

  • Red Blood Cells (RBC) is a measure of the number of red blood cells in the blood.
  • Hematocrit (HCT) is a measure of the % of the blood which is made up of red blood cells. RBC and HCT are used to detect anemia and dehydration.
  • Hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (HBG and MCHC) are the oxygen carrying pigments of red blood cells. These values may help us diagnose and evaluate anemia.
  • White blood cells or leukocytes (WBC) are the cells of the immune system. Increases or decreases may indicate certain diseases or infections. There are five different types of white blood cells.
    • Neutrophils
    • Lymphocytes
    • Basophils
    • Eosinophils
    • Monocytes
  • Platelets (PLT) measures the cells that form blood clots. Changes in the platelet count help us evaluate the blood’s clotting abilities.
  • Reticulocytes (RETICS) are immature red blood cells. High levels indicate regenerative anemia.
  • Fibrinogen (FIBR) is an important clotting factor. Changes in fibrinogen may indicate changes in the body’s blood clotting abilities.

The Chemistry Panel

A chemistry panel (blood chem, chemistry screen) is used to evaluate organ function, electrolyte status, hormone levels, and more. These tests are important in evaluating your pet’s health status before anesthesia, especially your pet’s ability to process and excrete anesthetics. They are also important for screening organ function in older pets, pets showing signs of illness, pets with possible toxin exposure, and pets receiving long-term medications. Blood chemistry testing is performed on the fluid in the blood sample (the CBC is the examination of the cells in the blood sample).

The chemistry panel may include any of the following tests:

  • Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a blood enzyme. Elevated levels may be present in liver injury, bone injury, or pregnancy. Growing animals also normally have higher levels of this enzyme. ALP can be used as a tumor marker, particularly with tumors that have metastasized to the liver. Low levels of alkaline phosphatase may not be clinically significant.
  • Alanine transaminase (ALT) is a blood enzyme. This enzyme is a sensitive indicator of active liver damage but does not indicate the cause.
  • Aspartate trasferase (AST) is another blood enzyme. Increases in AST may indicate liver, heart, or skeletal muscle damage.
  • Bilirubin (total) (TBIL) is a bile pigment. Bilirubin may be elevated in diseases of the liver and/or the biliary system, hemolytic anemia, and in response to the effects of some drugs or toxins.
  • Gamma glutamyl Transferase (GGT) is another blood enzyme that may indicate liver disease or corticosteroid excess.
  • Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is a blood waste product. Elevations of BUN are often referred to as “azotemia”. Elevations may be caused by kidney, liver and heart disease, dehydration, urethral obstruction, shock, certain drugs or toxins, and intestinal bleeding.
  • Creatinine (CREAT) is another blood waste product. Creatinine is a more sensitive indicator of kidney function than BUN.
  • Phosphorus (PHOS) is an essential mineral required by the body’s cells for proper functioning. Changes in phosphorus are often associated with kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and bleeding disorders.
  • Calcium (Ca) is an essential mineral in the blood. Deviations in calcium can indicate a variety of diseases. Tumors, hyperparathyroidism, kidney disease, and low albumin may alter serum calcium levels.
  • Glucose (GLU) is a blood sugar. Glucose may be elevated in diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Low levels may cause collapse, seizures, or coma.
  • Total protein (TP) is a measure of the blood proteins. A measure of total protein indicates hydration status and provides additional information about liver, kidneys, and infectious diseases. The total protein level measures several different types of protein, including albumin and globulin.
  • Albumin (ALB) is a specific serum protein. The albumin level helps evaluate hydration, hemorrhage, and intestinal, liver, and kidney disease.
  • Globulin (GLOB) is a specific serum protein. Globulin is often increased with chronic inflammation and certain disease states.
  • Amylase (AMYL) is a serum enzyme. Increases may indicate pancreatitis or kidney disease
  • Lipase (LIP) is also a serum enzyme. Increases may indicate pancreatitis.
  • Cholesterol (CHOL) is a fatty substance made by the liver. Cholesterol levels are used to supplement diagnosis of other disease, such as hypothyroidism, liver disease, Cushing’s disease, and diabetes.

Serum Electrolytes
There are three electrolytes commonly measured in the serum:

  • Chloride (Cl) is a specific serum electrolyte. Chloride is often lost with vomiting and may be low in certain diseases, such as Addison’s disease. Elevations often indicate dehydration.
  • Sodium (Na) is a specific serum electrolyte. Sodium is often lost with vomiting, diarrhea, and certain diseases such as kidney disease and Addison’s disease. This test helps evaluate hydration status.
  • Potassium (K) is a specific serum electrolyte. Potassium is often lost with vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive urination. Increased levels may indicate kidney failure, Addison’s disease, dehydration, or urethral obstruction. Excessively high levels can lead to cardiac arrest.

Other Common Tests
There are many other blood tests that we sometimes perform. Some of the most common include:

  • Thyroxine (T4) is a thyroid hormone. Decreased levels often signal hypothyroidism in dogs, while increased levels signal hyperthyroidism in cats.
  • Prothrombin time / Partial thromboplastin time (PT/PTT) are tests used to evaluate the blood clotting system. Elevated times may indicate a problem with the blood’s clotting abilities.
  • Canine pancreas-specific lipase (Spec CPL) is a specific test to check for pancreatitis.
  • Heartworm test (HWT) is a blood test that tests for heartworms, deadly parasites that can live in the heart or lungs of your pet. For more information on heartworm disease, click here.
  • Feline Leukemia / Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FELV/FIV) is a test which screens for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus, two very serious and contagious viral diseases of cats. Click on the links to learn more about either of these diseases.