To ensure your pet can properly process and eliminate an anaesthetic, we run tests to confirm that your pet’s organs are functioning properly and to find hidden health conditions that could put your pet at risk.
The top FOUR reasons to test your pet before anaesthesia
- Enjoy peace of mind.
- Detect hidden illness.
- Reduce risks and consequences.
- Protect your pet’s future health.
Testing can significantly reduce medical risk. Healthy-looking pets may be hiding symptoms of a disease or ailment. Testing helps detect this kind of illness so we can avoid problems with anaesthesia. If the pre-anaesthetic testing results are normal, we can proceed with confidence. If not, we can alter the anaesthetic procedure or take other precautions (e.g. putting your pet on a drip during anaesthesia) to safeguard your pet’s health. These tests become part of your pet’s medical record, providing a baseline for future reference.
What do we check?
Alkaline Phosphatase (ALKP)
An enzyme presents in multiple tissues, including liver and bone. Elevated levels can indicate liver disease, Cushing’s syndrome or steroid therapy
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
BUN is produced by the liver and excreted by the kidneys. Abnormally high levels can indicate kidney disease or dehydration, and low levels can be associated with liver disease.
Aminotransferase (ALT)
An enzyme that becomes elevated with liver cell injury
Creatinine (CREA)
Creatinine is a by-product of muscle metabolism and is excreted by the kidneys. Elevated levels can indicate kidney disease, urinary tract obstruction or dehydration
Blood Glucose (GLU)
High levels can indicate diabetes. In cats, high levels can also indicate stress, which can be a result of the trip to the veterinary hospital. Low levels can indicate liver disease, infection or certain tumours
As all our branches are hospitals, we have specialist machines in each clinic so as that we can process these blood samples on the morning of an operation or on a previous date.
These tests carry a charge of approximately €50 (May 2019).