Bloodwork for pets is an important way that vets can help get a general picture of your pet’s health and help diagnose serious medical conditions. Although many pet owners are hesitant about paying for blood tests, vets only ever recommend them when they are absolutely necessary.

If your vet has recommended bloodwork for your pet dog or cat, what do you need to know about the test? Here is a list of 3 important facts that you should know about getting blood tests done on your pet.

1. Complete blood count (CBC)

The complete blood count help vets check for conditions like anemia, liver function, immune system, infections, viral infections, heartworm, and much more. Therefore, regular testing of your pet’s blood can help to show up serious medical conditions before there are visible symptoms.

Depending on the bloodwork test results, your vet may order more specific blood tests to be carried out to help narrow down the causes of any irregularities.

2. Older pets need more frequent testing

It is a known fact that pets age quicker that humans and pets in their senior years require blood work carried out every 6 months or so. This will help to give your aging pet the best care possible and help prevent degenerative diseases having too great an impact on your pet’s health.

You should remember that if your pet is sick, he may require more frequent testing to monitor the disease and the effectiveness of any treatment.

3. Prepare your pet

Some pet owners forget that they need to prepare their pets for the blood test. Here are some facts you should know about preparing your pet for a blood test:

  • Your pet shouldn’t eat for at least 6 hours before the appointment.
  • Keep your pet hydrated and make sure he is drinking enough fluids.
  • Try to keep stress to a minimum before the appointment.
  • Don’t exercise your pet just prior to your visit.

If you make sure that your pet gets regular blood work done, you can be happy that you are doing what you can to care for their health.