Pre-anesthetic Blood Tests

By: Dr. Werner

What are Pre-anesthetic Blood Tests? As in human medicine, the anesthetics available for anesthetizing our pets are extremely safe. As a result, the anesthetic risk is greatly minimized when a "healthy" pet is placed under anesthesia. However, if your pet is not "healthy", complications can occur both during and after the anesthetic procedure. Therefore, in order to minimize the potential risk associated with anesthesia, it is vital for us to know the complete health status of the pet before placing them under anesthesia. Prior to anesthesia, a small amount of blood is painlessly removed from the pet by the surgical technician, and then tested. Blood chemistry tests provide information concerning the pet's vital organs such as the kidneys and liver. Since most anesthetics are processed in the liver and kidneys, blood chemistry tests are vitally important. A complete blood count (CBC) provides information con- cerning the various types of blood cells. The red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues of the body. White blood cells are the body's primary defense against infection. Platelets play a major role in the body clotting process. If the results of the pre-anesthetic tests are within normal ranges, the surgeon can proceed with confidence knowing the anesthetic risk is minimized. On the other hand, if the results are not within the normal ranges, the surgeon may alter the anesthetic procedure. In some cases, the surgeon may proceed as planned, yet provide medical support during and after the procedure to ensure the pet's health. In other cases, the test abnormalities may be significant enough to postpone the procedure in order to monitor and medically treat your pet. Although performing these tests cannot guarantee the absence of complications, it can significantly minimize the risk to the pet and provide owners with peace of mind.