To understand your pet's health, we use various diagnostic tools. Bloodwork is a safe and effective way to understand your pet's internal system. At Wellesley Animal Hospital, we provide in-house diagnostic testing with the most modern technology available. Our goal is to provide your pet with the highest level of care possible, and our diagnostic tools help us do just that.
When would a veterinarian recommend bloodwork for my pet?
There are many reasons why a veterinarian may recommend bloodwork for your pet including:
- To diagnose an illness. When your pet is showing signs that they are unwell, we use different tools like blood tests to diagnose them.
- To learn your pet's baseline health information. Baseline health refers to your pet's normal blood levels when they are healthy. This information is valuable for comparison in the future.
- Your pet is starting a new medication. Our team needs to understand your pet's blood chemistry to see how they will react to the medication.
- Your pet is having surgery. Pre-anesthetic blood work is necessary to prevent complications during the operation.
To schedule a blood test for your loyal companion, please call us at 416-966-1830.
How can bloodwork help diagnose my pet?
Just like in human medicine, we can use bloodwork to detect and diagnose deficiencies, diseases, and much more. When we analyze your pet's blood, we learn their blood chemistry and complete blood count (CBC). These components show how many red and white blood cells they have and the number of platelets in the sample. These cells affect your pet's immune system and how oxygen is transported through their body. The chemicals found in your pet's blood correlate to specific organs, so when the results show abnormal levels, we can determine what is causing the problem.
How long does it take for the results?
We offer both in-house and send-out laboratory services. Some tests are not available in-house and may be sent to external laboratories as required. For critical patients, our on-site lab allows same-day processing of blood samples. Results from send-out labs are typically available within one week.