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Tierordination Hetzendorf

This article was written by TOBALIE in cooperation with Tierordination Hetzendorf

By means of body language and certain behaviour patterns, veterinarians can guess certain things, but a blood test can definitely give more information about the health condition of our beloved pets. Diagnostics include clinical examination, x-rays, medical ultrasonics, etc. This article will explain when a blood test is useful and how you can prepare your pet for a blood test.

Enjoy reading.

When is a blood test of cats and dogs useful?

A blood test is not always useful, sometimes it is essential. Some veterinary clinics already have in-house laboratory equipment available in the practice, but some laboratory values can only be determined in larger laboratories.

  • To search for diseases: There are symptoms that occur in many diseases. For example, increased drinking and urinating can indicate diabetes or several hormonal disorders. Even a purulent uterine inflammation cannot be excluded. In order to be able to make a correct diagnosis, the laboratory values help to provide more detailed information.
  • To better assess diseases: To be able to assess the severity of a disease, precise laboratory tests must be carried out to obtain exact values. Depending on the severity of the disease, either an intensive therapy must be initiated or it is sufficient to support the body in self-healing.
  • Preventive examination: An annual blood test is advisable, especially for older (from 6-8 years of age) or pre-stressed animals. Laboratory diagnostics can provide information about the current immune status. organ functions, such as liver, kidneys, etc., can also be checked in this way. Thus, before symptoms even appear, diseases can be detected and early reactions can be made. It is often possible to prevent worse things by changing the diet or taking medication.
  • Therapy progress control: Let’s assume, for example, that your animal has been diagnosed with renal insufficiency and is prescribed medication. Now it is important to monitor the success or failure of this medication in order to initiate another therapy or adjust dosages if necessary. 
  • Examine diseases that do not respond to the therapy more closely: For example, if the symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea but good general health, only symptomatic therapy is used initially. But the symptoms do not get better, maybe even worse? Then you have to look more closely. A blood laboratory could make it easier to decide on certain medications. It could also show whether other organs, such as the pancreas, are involved. The treatment of these organs is then essential for success.
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Train the removal of Blood

Unfortunately our fluffy roommates are not immune to diseases and a blood test should be taken. Some animals have hardly any problem with it, some fall into a stiffness, others downright panic. Therefore it is advisable to train this (fearful) situation in advance to make it easier for your pet in case of an emergency. If you have questions or need help, you can also contact a trainer.

  • Start training already at puppy age.
  • Regularly repeat what you have learned, especially when a blood test is due.
  • Practise the “Give paw” signal, or take your pet’s leg or paw in your hand and stroke it from time to time. Reward as long as your pet is quiet. In this way your pet combines giving paw with something pleasant (positive conditioning).
  • When taking a blood sample, always shave a small area in advance, usually with an electronic hair clipper. The noise could scare your dog or cat. This can also be trained in advance. If you don’t have an electric hair clipper at home, you can also use another similar electric device (electric toothbrush or similar) for training. Step by step you can then build the “bad thing” into the training. The first step is to let your pet sniff the tool while it is still switched off. Then you stroke gently over the paw. Then you can turn it on behind your back (to keep the noise down) and reward your darling. Now approach step by step with the razor. Keep an eye on your pet’s body language, if he shows you any appeasement signals, you have gone one step too far. Don’t forget to reward properly after each step, preferably with a click or marker word!
  • Putting on the tourniquet can also be unpleasant. First practice carefully squeezing the paw with your fingers above the elbow, then you can put a string over the leg (never tie it up, it can cause injuries!). Click and reward again for calm behaviour.
  • Provide assistance in the situation! Stay calm yourself, because if you are nervous it will be transferred to your animal. 
  • Is your pet generally afraid of the vet? Ask the vet if you can come by every now and then just to scrounge a cookie. So your pet does not only connect negative things with the place. 

Bluttest wird im Labor durchgeführt

Summary

On the basis of various laboratory findings, a lot can be said about the state of health of furry patients. Blood tests are one of the most important diagnostic tools for detecting diseases, assessing their severity, initiating therapies and monitoring them. Medical training helps your pet to see the situation in a relaxed way. /p>