Disclaimer
Your pet will be scheduled for a procedure that requires anesthesia. Though very unlikely, anesthesia inherently carries some risk. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to explain why pre-anesthetic blood testing will be performed and why it is important to the health of your four legged family member. The anesthetic agent is removed from the body by the liver and kidneys, so it is important to know before anesthesia that these organs are functioning well.
Like you, our greatest concern is the well-being of your pet. Before putting your pet under anesthesia, a veterinarian will perform a full comprehensive physical examination to identify any existing medical conditions that could complicate the procedure and compromise the health of your pet.
There is always the possibility that a physical exam alone will not identify all of your pet’s health problems. The pre-anesthetic blood profile (a combination of blood tests) is performed prior to anesthesia. This blood profile that we complete in our lab is similar to, and equally as important as those your own physician would run if you were to undergo anesthesia. Results will be immediately available before general anesthesia and/or surgery.
It is important to understand that a pre-anesthetic blood profile does not guarantee the absence of complications. It may, however, greatly reduce the risk of complications that could require medical treatment in the future. If your pet is geriatric or ill, we strongly recommended upgrading to a full comprehensive blood screening.