At Gordon Vet Hospital we use Screening Health Tests often. Our hospital has an extensive laboratory where many of these tests can be carried out in-house after we take blood from the pet.

This means that it is more convenient for pet owners and the results will be available faster. The aim is to detect disease in your animals early so that treatment is more successful. Once a disease has been diagnosed, periodic monitoring is important. Comparing current lab results to previous ones will tell us if treatment is effective or if the disease is progressing.

Therefore, Screening Health Tests are used for both detecting a disease and for monitoring a disease once it has been diagnosed.

In the Gordon Vet Hospital laboratory we use Blood Samples for:

• Haematology – To look at red and white blood cells and platelets. It can be used to check for such things as: anaemia, immune disease and clotting problems
• Biochemistry – These tests measure kidney function, liver function, electrolytes and detect or monitor such diseases as diabetes
• Monitoring Diseases – Such as thyroid disease, Cushing’s Disease, Addison’s Disease
• Monitoring long term medication – For pets that are on long term medication, such as anti inflammatories, heart medication, epilepsy
• Blood-Gas Machine – This helps in emergency and critical care monitoring, for example tick paralysis
• Infectious Diseases – Tests for Canine Parvovirus, Canine Heartworm Disease, Pancreatitis (CPL), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)
• Skin Allergies – Blood testing to investigate skin allergies

Other tests in the Gordon Vet Hospital laboratory are:

• Urine samples – To look for such things as protein, glucose, crystals and bacteria
• Microscopy – Examining specimens under the microscope. For example, ear swabs to look for infection or viewing a sample of a lump to check whether it is of concern to the animal’s health

In addition, we have access to the best external laboratories in Australia if needed. We carefully choose where to send our external tests so as to receive the best outcomes for your pet.

Senior Testing

Dogs and cats 7 years of age and older are considered ‘Senior’. It is recommended that senior patients have a blood and often urine test at least once a year at the time of their health check. This will test for diseases that are common in older animals. Even when screening test results are normal, the test provides us with a baseline normal result to which we can compare future blood samples from that pet. Periodic screening in older pets is vital to maintaining their health for as long as possible.

Pre-Anaesthetic Testing

This is an optional in-house blood test that Gordon Vet performs often. It is done prior to your pet having an anaesthetic and surgery. The blood test detects such things as liver and kidney problems which could affect your animal’s anaesthetic safety and recovery.

Pre-anaesthetic blood work does not guarantee that your pet will not have any problems with the anaesthesia or surgical procedure, but it can minimise the risks and provide you with peace of mind. The blood test is offered to animals of all ages, but is especially recommended for senior dogs and cats.