Pet Lab Profiles

Real-time blood and urine tests are particularly helpful to our emergency vets for determining the cause of illness in your cat or dog. In addition, pre-surgical screenings, chemistry assays and blood profiles reduce the inherent risks of pet surgery and the use of anesthetics. PetPB is fully equipped with IDEXX laboratory analyzers. These commercial veterinary analyzers perform a variety of tests such as blood and urine screenings. Pet blood and urine tests help our emergency vets determine causes of illness accurately, safely and quickly. The results allow us to treat and/or monitor the course of treatment more efficiently than ever before. Listed below are just of few of the lab tests we may recommend for your pet:

Blood Chemistry Tests

• Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)
  ALT is an enzyme that is present in the bloodstream when liver cells are diseased or damaged.
• Albumin (Alb)
  Albumin is a large blood protein. If it is low, this can indicate a wide range of abnormalities from kidney and liver disease to parasite infestations.
• Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP)
  ALP is a liver enzyme that if elevated can indicate the presence of liver or gall bladder disease. It can also indicate Cushing's Disease, an abnormality of the adrenal and/or pituitary glands which can be elevated in the presence of some cancers.
• Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
  A by-product of normal body functions, BUN is cleared from the blood by the kidneys. Accumulation of high levels of BUN in the blood can indicate kidney damage or disease. High BUN can also point to urethral obstruction, bladder rupture, bleeding in the stomach or intestines, or severe dehydration. Low BUN can be suggestive of liver disease or a liver shunt.
• Total Calcium (Ca+2)
  Abnormalities in calcium levels can point to parathyroid, kidney or other diseases like eclampsia; or may indicate cancer.
• Creatinine (Crea)
  Creatinine is a by-product of normal body functions and is cleared from the blood by the kidneys. High levels usually indicate kidney damage or disease, but can also indicate bladder rupture or obstruction. Small increases in creatinine can indicate early kidney failure or severe dehydration.
• Glucose (Glu)
  Glucose is a nutrient normally present in the blood. High levels of glucose can indicate diabetes, while low levels can indicate insulin overdose, liver or pancreas damage/disease, or severe infection.
• Total Protein (TPro)
  Total protein is a measure of the number of globulins and the number of albumin in the blood stream. If too high or too low, total protein signals a problem requiring further examination of these different proteins. Dehydration, kidney, liver or intestinal disorders and bacterial or viral infections are just a few of the diseases that may affect protein levels.
• Total Bilirubin (tBili)
  A normally occurring by-product of aged red blood cells that is cleared by the liver. Elevated tBili can indicate disease of the liver or gall bladder or some red blood cell disorders.
• Electrolytes (Na+, K+, Cl-, Mg+2, P)
  Sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and phosphorus are essential in maintaining proper fluid balance in the cells of the body. They are especially important in managing heart disease, diarrhea, and vomiting. Even small variances in electrolytes can negatively affect organ function. For example, elevations in potassium can cause life-threatening arrhythmias of the heart, and low phosphorus can cause red blood cells to burst leading to profound anemia.

Hematology Assays

• Complete Blood Count (CBC)
  A CBC provides a wide variety of tests in a single report that can indicate anemia, dehydration, infection, parasite infestation, certain types of cancer and many other important factors. It can indicate the number of platelets important for blood clotting, especially prior to any surgery, and the different types of white cells essential for fighting infections.
• Microscopic Review
  Along with the CBC, this manual exam reviews the appearance and types of red cells, white cells and platelets present in the blood. The doctor or veterinary nurse can also evaluate the blood for presence of blood cell parasites.

Urinalysis Tests

A urinalysis includes a battery of tests evaluating the physical and chemical characteristics of urine. Since the kidneys filter blood to create urine, results of a urinalysis may indicate disease from any part of the body. Kidney and bladder disease, diabetes, liver disease, blood disorders and cancer are just a few of the conditions that may be detected through a urinalysis.

Blood Gas Analyzers

PetPB is equipped with the Heska iStat blood gas analyzer. This instrument allows our veterinarians to obtain accurate, immediate blood gas results in under two minutes to expedite stabilization, treatment and/or diagnosis on critically injured and ill pets. More detailed laboratory tests may be required once stabilization is initialized.

Palm Beach Pet Lab Contact Information

For more information on our Palm Beach County animal emergency services center please contact us at 561-752-3232.