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Modern anaesthetics, equipment and techniques have vastly reduced the risk associated with general anaesthesia and surgery with healthy animals. However, it is not usually the healthy pet that has to have an anaesthetic for surgery or other procedures.
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Routine blood tests frequently form part of the full clinical examination of any animal presented to the veterinary surgeon. These tests are extremely helpful when arriving at an accurate diagnosis.
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Regular routine check-ups for our pets often leads to a longer pain free life since, they can give an early indication of impending problems. For middle aged and older animals these check-ups should be carried out annually even if the pet appears perfectly healthy.
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These guidelines are intended to ensure that the results of any laboratory tests undertaken are as accurate as possible and will help to avoid repeat tests being carried out.
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Electrolytes occur in the blood and are frequently measured during serum biochemistry. The most common electrolytes in the blood are sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride bicarbonate and phosphate.
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The thyroid gland is found just below the larynx and consists of two lobes lying either side of the trachea (windpipe). This paired gland is responsible for the production of the thyroid hormones, the major one of which is thyroxine T4, and tri-iodothyronine (T3) which is produced in smaller quantities.
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Trypsin is an enzyme that is involved in the digestion of proteins in the small intestine. It is secreted by the pancreas as trypsinogen which is a non-activated enzyme (pro-enzyme).
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Urine analysis involves a collection of relatively simple tests that can be undertaken at the practice. The tests assess the physical and chemical composition of the urine. Abnormal results usually indicate that there is a disorder affecting either the kidneys and/or other parts of the urinary system.
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Ultrasound consists of very high-pitched sound waves. Humans hear up to 20 thousand hertz (vibrations/second), whereas the ultrasound frequencies that we use in cats are usually around 7-10…
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Virology today provides us with the means to test for many viruses affecting both us and our pets. These techniques are particularly useful in the cat since there are several serious viral infections of felines that can result in immune related problems.