The Voice of Business and Community In Central New York

What are all those lab tests for? By MICHAEL KING, D.V.M. and
ROBYN KING, M.S. Animal Nutrition

          Pets can't tell you where it hurts, This can make the veterinarian's job of finding the problem quite difficult. Sometimes the diagnosis is made by observing the pet for physical symptoms along with a detailed description of the animals' behavioral signs from the owner. However the solution is not always so simple. The signs may be confusing or unclear, or they may apply to more than one condition. That's when your veterinarian will often recommend one or more laboratory tests that might provide clues to the source of the problem.
          Some tests are performed with a microscope and a few accessories. Other tests require specialized and often expensive equipment. Depending on the test, your veterinarian will need a blood, urine, fecal or tissue sample.
          Veterinarians don't automatically run tests. Often one or more conditions can be accurately diagnosed in the exam room from a complete physical exam and a good historical description from the owner. Symptomatic treatment is sometimes attempted when the possible diagnoses are narrowed down to one or more related conditions. If the treatment prescribed is unsuccessful, tests may then be run to determine a better treatment plan.
          Generally, laboratory tests are run when the veterinarian is unsure of the animal's problem, when he wants to confirm a diagnosis, when he wants to monitor an animal's response to treatment, and/or when it's important to insure the overall health of the pets vital organs prior to general anesthesia or a particularly stressful treatment. For example, a complete blood count (CBC) can tell a veterinarian if the animal has an adequate number of red blood cells. If a CBC shows an elevated white blood cell count, this could indicate a bacterial infection or inflammation whereas a low white cell count might indicate a viral infection. In addition, the relative numbers and sizes and shapes of the different types of white blood cells present all tell something about the nature of the illness. Urinalysis can also be informative. The veterinarian can get an idea whether the animal's kidneys can concentrate urine. The sediment in the urine may reveal blood, bacteria, white blood cells, crystals or protein deposits, all of which can be meaningful. Other important analyses include chemistry tests such as blood urea nitrogen, glucose tests for diabetes, electrolytes and liver enzyme levels. The recommendation of whether or not to perform tests should be left up to your veterinarian. He will know if an accurate diagnosis can be made with or without testing. Sometimes testing is recommended in older pets as in older people to monitor for unpredictable organ diseases or to establish baseline data to compare to later if tests are repeated as your pet continues to age. Most veterinarians try to help you keep the cost of medical care for your pet to a minimum. You can help by providing a good description of your pet's illness. The more detailed a description you can provide, the more he will have to work with and thus, perhaps, make some expensive tests unnecessary.

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