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Travelers Rest Animal Hospital Travelers Rest Animal Hospital Travelers Rest Animal Hospital

Phone: (864) 610‑9411

AAHAAAHA Accredited Practice of the Year
AAHAAAHA Accredited Practice of the Year
Veterinary Services

Blood Testing for Veterinary Diagnosis

Understanding why your pet needs blood testing

Blood testing for your pet helps the veterinarian diagnose and treat a variety of health conditions, including parasites, allergies, diabetes, liver disease, kidney failure, thyroid conditions, and pancreatic issues. Routine blood work, along with a thorough physical exam, gives the veterinarian the most information about your pet's health so that the best treatment and prevention recommendations can be made. Blood testing profiles are an effective pet care prevention program that can help detect diseases early on, when the odds of recovery are likely better. If your pet is being considered for surgery, the veterinarian will need to run blood work to determine whether the pet is healthy enough to withstand a surgical procedure and what anesthesia would be best.

Routine blood work includes a complete blood count (CBC) and an analysis of the chemical components in your pet's blood. A CBC qualifies white blood cells, responsible for your pet's immune system, and red blood cells that carry oxygen through your pet's body. It also measures platelets, which allow your pet's blood to clot, avoiding hemorrhage. In addition, some blood tests can also identify the presence of parasites like heartworms. Blood chemistry analysis will indicate the levels of crucial substances that dictate your pet's health profile like digestive enzymes, liver enzymes, kidney enzymes, Electrolytes, endocrine hormones, glucose, and proteins. Chemical and other substances found in the bloodstream can correlate with specific organs, so blood work for your pet can help determine how healthy their organs are.

Heartworm testing:

Annual testing is necessary, even when dogs are on heartworm prevention year-round, to ensure that the prevention program is working. Heartworm medications are highly effective, but dogs can still become infected. If you miss just one dose of a monthly medication, or give it late, it can leave your dog unprotected. Heartworm disease is a serious, progressive disease. The earlier it is detected, the better the prognosis will be. There are few, if any, early signs of disease when a dog, cat, or ferret is infected with heartworms, so detecting their presence with a heartworm test administered by a veterinarian is important. The test requires just a small blood sample from your pet, and it works by detecting the presence of heartworm proteins.

The following prices for blood panels and choosing the right one for your pet.

Pets 1-6 years 11 months of age:

Canine Junior Profile (CBC, Chemistry, and Heartworm Test) - $79.77
Feline Junior Profile (CBC, Chemistry, and Heartworm Test) - $81.97
Heartworm Test (In House) - $50.00

Pets 7 years and older:

Canine Senior Profile (CBC, Chemistry, Electrolytes, SDMA, Thyropid level, Urinalysis, Heartworm Test & Urinalysis) - $135.95
Feline Senior Profile (CBC, Chemistry, Electrolytes, SDMA, Thyroid level, Urinalysis, Heartworm Test & Urinalysis) - $135.95
Heartworm test (In House) - $50.00