Like any other pet, your cat is prone to cat health issues, and proper medical evaluation is essential before particular therapies can be provided. Even if your pet shows no signs of illness, a medical examination might disclose whether or not it is truly healthy. Your veterinarian will order a series of diagnostic tests to determine your cat’s current health status. When a specific illness is present, the diagnostic procedures used to detect cat health problems will differ from those used for a general health exam. That is why it is very important to have cat insurance for your little one in order to get certain blood tests and ensure the best care for your furry friend.
This essay will assist you in better understanding the methods.
Diagnostic tests for your cat might disclose a great deal about its health. Sometimes a physical examination is insufficient to determine if your cat is healthy or not. Diagnostic tests can assist the veterinarian in localizing or characterizing a problem in the cat and then treating the ailment appropriately. Some disorders, such as cancer, kidney disease, or heart disease, do not manifest as cat health issues until advanced. Diagnostic testing can assist in recognizing them at an early stage, allowing for better treatment alternatives. Another significant advantage that medical diagnostic tests can bring is the ability to track treatment progress. This method can track serial blood sugar testing or renal illnesses and their progression.
The most common and effective way to determine if your cat is in perfect condition is by conducting a blood test. Minor health problems require simple diagnostics and may prescribe medicines to cure your feline friend’s disease; however, the vet suspects that your cat may have a severe condition. They may prescribe a feline blood test to help address the issue. Blood testing for cats may be required in the following circumstances:
This is indicated to create a healthy baseline of tests and to look for any congenital anomalies or prospective issues. Vets recommend blood tests and complete physical examination and physiological examination to help discover conditions that a physical exam cannot. Cat bloodwork is performed to establish the overall condition of the liver and kidneys, allowing a veterinarian to choose the safest form of anesthetic. Blood tests can also help identify the surgical risk level, especially if your cat is old and has an existing condition or injury. Vets
prescribe blood tests as a part of regular health exams for geriatric and senior cats. This is a crucial test for mature cats as aging too can affect the cat’s overall health. A blood test may reveal accurate information about your cat’s health and thus can be easily remedied provided with the data through blood test examination.
Reasons Why Vets Prescribe Blood Test
- First Vet Visit
On your first vet visit, vets may require to prescribe a blood test as a part of a general health examination to look for health issues and anomalies. A blood test is a part of healthy baseline tests to know your cat’s wellbeing.
- Semi-annual wellness exam
Vets may recommend a blood test and other physiological fluids like urine to assist them in discovering health issues that a regular physical exam cannot.
- Not showing signs of health problems but acting abnormally
Cat blood tests are appropriate for cats who do not show obvious signs of illness, disease, or injury but act unusually.
- Pre-surgical tests
Cat bloodwork is performed to establish the overall condition of internal organs like the liver and kidneys, allowing a veterinarian to choose the safest form of anesthetic. Blood tests can also help identify the surgical risk level in felines who are ill, aged, or injured.
- Senior wellness exams
Blood tests for cats are typically indicated as part of a regular health exam for senior and geriatric cats. Blood tests are highly beneficial for mature and senior cats because they can reveal specific health issues that can be easily remedied.
Types of Feline Bloodwork
CBC: Vet usually prescribes a CBC for cats who exhibit weakness, sluggishness, diarrhea, loss of appetite, fever, pale gums, or vomiting. CBC can potentially uncover bleeding disorders and other hidden abnormalities. CBC analyses the blood properties, including red and white blood count and hemoglobin.
Total Thyroid Level: Total Thyroid level examination allows vets to analyze blood tests for hyperthyroidism and euthyroidism or low thyroid function, which can signal sickness in a cat’s body.
Feline Leukemia-Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: These viruses are interspecies infectious and potentially fatal, so it’s crucial to bring your cat to the vet for a blood test examination to screen them if they have hidden health issues. The vet recommends prescribing a blood test if you take in a new feline friend as an addition to your family.
Blood Serum Chemistry: Blood serum chemistry is essential for assessing the condition of your cats. These conditions may vary like diarrhea, vomiting, toxin exposure, and cats receiving long-term drugs before general health and history conditions. This test analyzes organ function, hormone levels, electrolyte balance, and other health factors.
What Can Be Learned from Feline Blood Tests
Blood test results are critical in assisting veterinarians in diagnosing and treating disease issues in organs and within the blood such as the liver and kidneys. Various substances in the cat’s bloodstream are evaluated during a blood test for cats. Examples include:
Because albumin is produced in the liver, a deficiency in albumin levels in cats can signal a possible liver problem.
Cats’ blood testing can reveal aberrant hormonal-chemical responses to external and internal stimuli, indicating an endocrine system problem. Once the vet has established a link, they can order any additional feline blood work procedures required to arrest and treat the illness. In this sense, feline blood tests are precious instruments in a veterinarian’s toolbox to detect, identify, diagnose, and treat disease or illness.
The Function of Cat Bloodwork in Disease Diagnosis
Cat bloodwork is an essential part of disease diagnostics. Like other diagnostic tools, blood tests for cats can be more effective if you use them alongside diagnostic plans that may consist of further tests. Elevated BUN and creatinine readings, for example, can suggest a renal issue. They can, however, indicate mild dehydration in the days preceding the bloodwork. This is why, to achieve a correct diagnosis, more tests must be ordered.
