Your pet needs to have blood taken for tests. Similar to humans we can measure the function of the liver, heart, immune system, kidneys and other vital functions by testing your pet's blood. Blood tests are a cost efficient method of checking your pet's health - both for your pet and for your pocketbook.
What Do the Blood Tests Involve? (or How do you find the vein in all that fur?)
Vets can obtain blood samples from most pets by using a site on one of their paws. We shave a bit of the fur away on the spot most likely to have the vein. After applying a tourniquet or having a vet tech hold the top of their leg, we can usually visualise the vein. At that time, the skin is cleansed with alcohol and the needle inserted to draw blood through.
How Do You Obtain Blood for Testing from Birds or Smaller Pets?
For other types of pets - e.g. non-furry, very small or fragile creatures e.g. birds, we will often use a tiny amount of sedation to obtain a blood sample. This ensures that the pet doesn't move when we take blood and therefore will not sustain an injury. The procedure is the same from there on as we know there are places on each pet that the veins come to the surface, and we can draw blood. Samples sizes are very small so as to protect the health of your pet.
How Long Do Blood Test Results Take?
Many common blood tests can be completed on site at the Burnaby New Westminster Animal Hospital. For our other locations, blood samples are sent to a testing lab and results return within 24-48 hours (depending on the time required for the blood test).
We will always call you to let you know the results of the blood test.
When medical conditions are suspected, we will book a time to get together and discuss the test results.