Pre-anesthetic blood work is always recommended before any surgical procedure for animals of all ages. These tests confirm your pet’s organs are functioning properly, and can also reveal any underlying conditions which can impact the safety of anesthetic procedures.
Pre-anesthetic testing is especially important for older pets. Organ problems are more likely to occur as your pet ages. Pre-anesthetic blood work can reveal evidence of underlying and any hidden diseases. If the results are within normal limits, we can proceed with the anesthetic procedure. If the results are abnormal, we may simply need to alter the type of anesthesia used or run further tests to determine the extent of the problem and initiate treatment, depending on the findings.
Pre-anesthetic blood work is also important for younger pets as well. Some pets are born with genetic or congenital organ problems that may not show until later in life. These conditions can be worsened with the use of anesthesia. The pre-anesthetic blood work allows us to catch these problems early.
Please call us to schedule your pet’s pre-anesthetic blood work.