Understanding Your Pet's Blood Work
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Understanding your pet’s blood work Blood tests help us determine your pet’s health status and causes of illness accurately, safely, and quickly let us monitor the progress of medical treatments. A checkmark in any box below indicates a significant abnormality on your pet’s blood work. On the back of this sheet are remarks from the doctor with more details on your pet’s blood work results. Complete Blood Count (CBC) WBC (white blood cell) count classifies and The most common test, a CBC, gives information measures the body’s immune cells. Increases or on hydration status, anemia, infection, the decreases indicate certain diseases or infections. blood’s clotting ability, and the immune system’s ability to respond. EOS (eosinophils) are a specific type of white blood cells that, if elevated, may indicate allergic HCT (Hematocrit) measures the percentage of or parasitic conditions. red blood cells to detect anemia and dehydration. PLT (platelet count) measures cells that help Hb and MCHC (hemoglobin and mean stop bleeding by forming clots. corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) measures hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment of red RETICS (reticulocytes) are immature red blood blood cells (corpuscles). cells. High or low levels help classify anemias. GRANS and L/M (granulocytes and lymphocytes/ monocytes) are specific types of white blood cells. Serum Chemistry Profile ALT (alanine aminotrasferase) is PHOS (phosphorus) elevations a sensitive indicator of active liver are often associated with kidney These common tests evaluate damage but doesn’t indicate the disease, hyperthyroidism, and organ function, electrolyte status, cause. bleeding disorders. hormone levels, and more. Comprehensive Profile Ca (calcium) deviations can in- Wellness Profile dicate a variety of diseases. Tu- (Includes Wellness Profile and GLU (glucose) is a blood sugar. Ele- mors, hyperparathyroidism, kid- the following) vates levels may indicate diabetes ney disease, and low albumin are mellitus or stress. Low levels can cause ALKP (alkaline phosphatase) ele- just a few of the conditions that collapse, seizures, or coma. vations may indicate liver damage, alter serum calcium. Cushing’s disease, and active bone BUN (blood urea nitrogen) reflects growth in young pets. Mild to mod- Na (sodium) is an electrolyte kidney function. An increased blood erate elevations in older animals is lost with vomiting, diarrhea, and level is called azotemia and can be not uncommon. kidney or Addison’s disease. This caused by kidney, liver, and heart dis- GGT (gamma-glutamyl transpep- test also helps indicate hydration ease, urethral obstruction, shock, and tidase) is an enzyme that, when ele- status. dehydration. vated, indicates liver disease or cor- K (potassium) is an electrolyte ticosteoid excess. CREA (creatnine) reflects kidney lost with vomiting, diarrhea, or function. This test helps distinguish TBIL (total bilirubin) elevations excessive urination. Increase lev- between kidney and nonkidney causes may indicate liver or hemolytic dis- els may indicate kidney failure, of elevated BUN. ease. This test helps identify bile Addison’s disease, dehydration, TP (total protein) indicates hydra- duct problems and certain types of and urethral obstruction. High tion status and provides information anemia. levels can lead to cardiac arrest about the liver, kidneys, and infectious AMYL (amylase) elevations may and death. diseases. show pancreatitis or kidney disease. Cl (chloride) is an electrolyte ALB (albumin) is a serum protein CHOL (cholesterol) is used to sup- often lost with vomiting and Addi- that helps evaluate hydration, hemor- plement diagnosis of hypothyroid- son’s disease. Elevations often in- rhage, and intestinal, liver, and kidney ism, liver disease, Cushing’s dis- dicate dehydration. ease, and diabetes mellitus. health. T4 (thyroxine) is a thyroid hor- LIP (lipase) is an enzyme that GLOB (globulin) is a blood protein mone. Decreased levels often sig- may indicate pancreatitis when ele- nal hypothyroidism in dogs, while that often increases with chronic in- vated. flammation and certain disease states. high levels indicate hyperthyroid- ism in cats. .