Blood Work for Pets in Los Angeles
Blood work for pets at our Los Angeles veterinary clinic involves taking a blood sample in order to check for illnesses. While your pets don’t necessarily need these tests during routine exams each year, there are times when we might recommend them. These tests can help us more accurately determine what might be causing certain symptoms in pets. They also give us a better idea of what your pets’ health is like overall. We also recommend blood tests at other times, such as before surgery.
Our Veterinarian in Los Angeles Offers Quality Pet Care
At Hancock Park Veterinary Clinic, our veterinarian in Los Angeles is committed to providing pets with quality care. In order to do this, we might discuss having blood work done on your pets at certain times. While these tests cost extra, they are an important part of ensuring that your pets receive the care they need. Some common types of blood tests include a complete blood count to check blood cell levels, a blood chemistry profile to check organ function, a T4 test for thyroid hormones and heartworm tests to check for the presence of this disease.
We might recommend having blood tests done in young pets before they are spayed or neutered. This helps us understand if there are any underlying health conditions that might cause complications with this surgery. Although you do not need to have annual blood tests done on younger pets, we might recommend them in order to be better able to detect problems early. We can discuss this with you when you bring your pets in for their routine exams.
If your pets are not acting like themselves but there are no obvious signs of illness, we can do blood tests that can show whether or not there are underlying health conditions present. In some cases, complex health conditions can cause an overall change in pet behavior, such as lower energy levels, without causing noticeable signs of illness.
Whether your pets are having dental work done or another type of surgery, we typically recommend having a blood test done first. This lets us know if your pets have health conditions that could raise their risk of complications, especially if surgery involves the use of general anesthesia. We recommend this for pets of any age that are undergoing surgery, not just pets that are very young or old.
As your pets age, their risk of developing health problems increases. At this time, we might recommend having routine blood work done at their yearly exams. This allows us to catch problems as early as possible and begin treating them promptly in order to protect your pets’ health.
If you have questions about having blood work done for your pets or if you need to make an appointment, please contact Hancock Park Veterinary Clinic at 323-905-7155. Our veterinary team will provide you with the assistance you need. Our goal is to ensure that your pets stay healthy.