Blood Testing & Laboratory Diagnostics

Blood testing

Blood tests for pets help the veterinarian diagnose and treat a variety of health conditions that are not apparent during a physical examination, including parasite infections, viral or bacterial infections, allergies, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, and pancreatitis to name a few.

The veterinarian may request for a blood test in the following situations: 

• To obtain a baseline result of the body’s organ function. This will help us monitor your pet’s health and provide preventative care to reduce the risk of disease.
• If your pet is showing signs of illness, blood tests will help in the diagnosis (e.g., loss of appetite, persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, seizures, weakness or lethargy, excessive drinking or urination, etc.). 
• If abnormalities were noted during the physical exam (paleness in the gums, jaundice, significant weight loss, fever, severe weakness, abnormal organ enlargement, etc.).
• If your pet is going to undergo sedation or general anaesthesia. 
• If your pet is receiving long-term medication. This may include the monitoring of drug and hormone levels in the body to ensure that they are in the safe and therapeutic range, or if they experience any adverse effects from the medication. 

Other laboratory diagnostics

Laboratory tests that are available in our clinic include: 

• Urine analysis – to give us more information about kidney function and detect infection or inflammation in the urinary tract.
• Stool testing – to detect parasites such as worms or protozoa that may cause diarrhoea. 
• Skin cytology and skin scrapes – examination of samples taken from the skin surface under the microscope to diagnose bacterial or fungal infections and mites that live on or under the skin or fur. 
• Fine needle aspiration analysis – collecting a sample of cells from a lump or an abnormal-looking organ using a thin needle and examining it under a microscope.
• Validated PCR for infectious diseases such as FeLV and Babesia gibsoni.
• Specialised tests that cannot be performed at the clinic will be sent to an external reference laboratory.