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UNDERSTANDING BLOODWORK |
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| What does it mean when
a veterinarian says she needs to run some blood work on your pet? Blood work
- presurgical or otherwise - is usually a combination of a complete blood
count (CBC) and a blood chemical analysis. Blood work is a basic evaluation
tool. Pets, particularly senior ones, should have a CBC at every annual
examination. In addition, blood work allows a veterinarian to monitor the
progression of a pet's disease.
When the blood sample is drawn from your pet, both the cells and the fluid
they "travel" in are examined. |
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Complete Blood
Count (CBC) |
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A CBC Measures Three Main Things:
 Red
Blood Cells (RBCs)
White
Blood Cells (WBCs)
Platelets
Can find out several things using CBC,
but the three main ones are
Is
the patient anemic of dehydrated?
Does the patient have an infection of some kind?
Is
the patient's blood going to have trouble clotting? |
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| Anemia means that the
patient doesn't have enough red blood cells, and will show a low RBC
count. |
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| Dehydration means the
patient doesn't have enough water in their body, and will show a high RBC
count. |
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| Infection means the
body is fighting a bug, and will show a high WBC count if bacterial
and low WBC count if viral. |
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| If a patient has low
platelet count then they may have trouble with blood clotting and
be more likely to bleed or bruise. |
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| The cell part of the blood
is examined in the CBC. The CBC determines the number of erythrocytes (red
blood cells), the number and type of leukocytes (white blood cells), the
number of platelets (thrombocytes), the hemoglobin level, and the hematocrit
(packed cell volume, PCV). Erythrocytes carry oxygen throughout the body.
Leukocytes fight infection and are part of the immune system. There are five
different types of white blood cells: neutrophils, lymphocytes, basophils,
eosinophils, and monocytes. Platelets are clotting proteins and indicate how
fast your pet's blood can clot; slow clotting can be a serious problem. A
CBC can tell your veterinarian if your pet has an unusual number of
erythrocytes (anemia, polycythemia), leukocytes (leukopenia, leukocytosis),
or platelets (thrombocytopenia). |
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Blood Chemistry or Chemistry Screen |
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| A chemistry panel (blood
chem, chemistry screen), tests kidney function, liver function, electrolyte
levels, etc. Blood chemistries are run on the fluid in the blood sample.
(The CBC is the examination of the cells in the blood sample.)
The chemistry panel usually includes the following
tests: alkaline phosphatase (SAP, ALP), alanine transaminase (alanine
aminotransferase, ALT), bilirubin total (T Bili), blood urea nitrogen (BUN),
creatinine, creatine kinase (CK, CPK), sodium, potassium, glucose, total
protein, albumin, etc. Alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase, bilirubin,
and albumin give your veterinarian information about the pet's liver
function. Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and creatine kinase tell your
veterinarian how well your pet's kidneys are functioning. |
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| ALB
or Albumin (PROTEIN) |
| High levels are rarely seen
and are primarily due to dehydration. Low levels are seen in poor diets,
diarrhea, fever, infection, liver disease, inadequate iron intake,
third-degree burns and edemas, and hypocalcemia. |
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ALKP or Alkaline phosphatase |
| Elevated levels are present
in liver injury, bone injury, pregnancy, or skeletal growth. Growing animals
also normally have higher levels of this enzyme. Elevated levels 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.
However, in humans, decreased serum levels have been observed in
hypothyroidism, scurvy, achondroplastic dwarfism, magnesium deficiency,
malnutrition, cardiac surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass, and hypophosphatasia. |
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ALT or Alanine Aminotransaminase |
| Decreased ALT in combination
with increased cholesterol levels is seen in cases of a congested liver.
Increased levels are also seen in liver damage, kidney infection, chemical
pollutants, or myocardial infarction. |
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| AMYL or
Amylase |
| Elevations show
pancreatitis or kidney disease. |
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| BUN or Blood
Urea Nitrogen |
| Increases can be caused by
excessive protein intake, kidney damage, certain drugs, low fluid intake,
intestinal bleeding, exercise, or heart failure. Decreased levels may be due
to a poor diet, malabsorption, liver damage, or low nitrogen intake. |
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| CHOL or
Cholesterol |
| Used to supplement diagnosis
of hypothyroidism, liver disease, Cushing's disease, and diabetes mellitus. |
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| CREA or
Creatinine |
| Low levels are sometimes
seen in kidney damage, protein starvation, liver disease, or pregnancy.
Elevated levels are sometimes seen in kidney disease due to the kidneys job
of excreting creatinine, muscle degeneration, and some drugs involved in
impairment of kidney function. |
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GLU or Blood Glucose |
| Elevated in diabetes, liver
disease, obesity, and pancreatitis due to steroid medications, or during
stress. Low levels may be indicative of liver disease, overproduction of
insulin, or hypothyroidism. |
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| PHOS or
Phosphorus |
| Elevations are often associated with kidney
disease, hyperthyroidism, and bleeding disorders. |
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TBIL or Total Bilirubin |
| Elevated in liver disease,
hemolytic anemia, low levels of exposure to the sun, and toxic effects to
some drugs. Decreased levels are seen in people with an inefficient liver,
excessive fat digestion, and possibly a diet low in nitrogen bearing foods. |
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TP or Total Protein |
| Decreased levels may be due
to poor nutrition, liver disease, malabsorption, diarrhea, or severe burns.
Increased levels are seen in lupus, liver disease, chronic infections,
leukemia, etc. |
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| Cl or
Chlorine |
| An electrolyte often lost
with vomiting and Addison's disease. Elevations indicate dehydration. |
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| Na -
Sodium, K -Potassium, and Ca - Calcium |
| A balance of these
electrolytes is vital for evaluating vomiting, diarrhea, cardiac disease,
kidney disease, Addison's disease, and dehydration. |
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| General
Guidelines for Blood Work |
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If only
one or two values are mildly elevated, then probably recheck in one month.
If on long-term meds and one or two
values are mildly elevated, then probably recheck in six months.
The veterinarian will consider the
total health of the patient including the blood work to determine what, if
any, treatments are necessary. |
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