What blood tests have you had done on your dog?

[BabyElephant]

Another thread as well as a conversation wtih another member got me thinking (yep, I know it's dangerous) about the blood tests that Poppy's had done in the past and thought perhaps we could share, for informational purposes, the blood test we've had done on our dogs, what the results were and meant etc. I'll start:

Poppy had a blood test because they found out (when she was on the operating table about to be cut open) that her blood wasn't clotting (it was taking 9 mins to clot, should take between 30-60 seconds). They took some blood and did lots of tests but the main one that came back was her platelet count.

Platelet count = 22
Normal dog = above 150

Counts below 50 may experience internal bleeding
Counts below 25 are at risk of spontaneous internal bleeding for no reason

She also had a bunch of others tests done but I'd have to get her notes out for those!

So what tests have your dogs had done, what did they mean, what were the resuts?

[Dax]

Dax has had a thyroid panel done more than once.

Ariel has been typed and hydration checked.

Merlin has been checked for elevated white cell counts to rule out infection.

That would be all. I don't remember the results

[Dauxside]

I am a *huge* advocate of titer tests.

The term “titer” refers to the strength or concentration of a substance in a solution. When testing vaccine titers in dogs, a veterinarian takes a blood sample from a dog and has the blood tested for the presence and strength of the dog’s immunological response to a viral disease. If the dog demonstrates satisfactory levels of vaccine titers, the dog is considered sufficiently immune to the disease, or possessing good “immunologic memory,” and not in need of further vaccination against the disease at that time.

Even though I use to be a vaccine fanatic, I now fully believe and agree that over vaccination has caused some problems in the dog population. So, for me, titer is a must.

Other tests:

CBC (Complete Blood Count)
The CBC evaluates red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets and can indicate the presence of an infection or disease or a deficiency of red blood cells or platelets.

RBCs are important because they carry oxygen from the lungs to all body tissues. RBCs can be measured directly by counting them under a microscope or automatically with a specialized machine.

An indirect measurement of RBCs can be made by measuring the volume of red cells as a percent of the whole blood. This is called a hematocrit or packed cell volume (PCV). A low hematocrit and a low RBC count both indicate the presence of anemia. A high hematocrit can indicate dehydration.

WBCs are important for preventing and fighting infection. WBC numbers increase when the immune system is stimulated, such as an in an infection, parasitic disease and allergies. There are five types of WBCs. A CBC includes a count of total WBC number as well as a differential. A differential is a determination of the different types of WBCs.

Blood Chemistry Panel/Profile
To evaluate how the body is functioning -- are the kidneys working, how is the liver, is the pancreas functioning normally -- a veterinarian will run a panel of tests which examine the proteins, enzymes and metabolic by-products in the blood plasma.

IMHO especially with older dogs this would be a test to do at least once a year.


Here's a good read that is quite easy to understand: http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/bloodwork.html

[golden&hovawart]

Priska had a blood panel done,last yr when she was operated on a mammary mass and the results came back normal.That's all!.

[BabyElephant]

Oh I forgot about titres - thanks for the reminder Dauxside. Poppy was titred for her Rabies vaccination to get a Pet Passport!

[Dauxside]

Originally Posted by BabyElephant

Oh I forgot about titres - thanks for the reminder Dauxside. Poppy was titred for her Rabies vaccination to get a Pet Passport!

I'm a real titer nut - just don't understand while the whole AVA isn't on the bandwagon.

[EmmaGirl]

Originally Posted by Dauxside

I'm a real titer nut - just don't understand while the whole AVA isn't on the bandwagon.

Agreed Daux!!

[borzoimom]

We run blood tests on thyroid on all. My rescue needs to have at least twice a year or more because of crashing thyroid ( probably why I worry so much). Hottie has a full panel done yearly to check for low calcium ( forgot the term) levels.. and of course- for heartworm tests.

[weezyNollie]

Oh jeeze.. are you really wanting to know Louise's labwork history?! LOL!

Okay.. She's had:
-Chemistry panels (Numerous times)
-Complete Blood Count (CBC) (again, numerous times)
-ELECTROLYTES (Calcium, Potassium, Sodium)! ALL THE TIME! This is how we manage her Addison's -- so every 3 months
-PCV/TP
-Agglutination test
-Urinalysis (a couple of times)
-Culture/Sensitivity of urine
-Bile Acids (for her liver)
-Thyroid (T4, Free T4, T3) (numerous times)
-ACTH Stim
-TLI/PLI/Cobalamin/Folate Panels (numerous times)
-Histopathology reports from one mass removal and then her Upper GI Scope (small intestine and stomach)
-Skin scraping (by the dermatologist once)
-Fecals (a couple of times.. to rule out parasites vs. IBD)

Just to name a few.. ha ha

[BabyElephant]

ACTH is that the adrenal gland stimulation test? If so Poppy had that done as well...

So is Louise used to them taking their fair share of her blood then????