Dear Valued Client,
You will be given the option of pre-operative blood tests to evaluate your pet's health before de-sexing. We fully expect that as your pet is bright, alert, and energetic, all values will be in the normal range. This leads to the question, why should I have the blood tests?
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In my forty-plus years of veterinary practice, I have performed thousands of de-sexing surgeries and postponed hundreds in what seemed like healthy pets due to abnormal blood test results. The abnormal blood tests helped diagnose an underlying disease that added significant risk to both the anesthesia and surgery. If we find abnormalities in your pet's blood tests, we will postpone the surgery, and treatment will be directed at healing the underlying disease. Once the disease condition is resolved, we’ll proceed with the de-sexing surgery.
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There is no such thing as normal. All of these tests have a wide normal range. At this age, I’d like you to think of your pet as the healthiest they will ever be. Blood test results will give us an essential baseline for future evaluation. If, years down the road, your pet is sick and we perform blood work to help arrive at a diagnosis, knowing what your pet’s normal is will be extremely helpful.
For example, I recently de-sexed my female dog, Annie. Thankfully, all of her blood values were normal. Her ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) and ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase) values were of interest. Elevated ALT and ALP levels generally point to liver disease. The normal ALT range is 10-125 for dogs, and Annie’s ALT was at the lower end at 15. The normal ALP range for dogs is 23-212, and Annie’s ALP level was 30.
If Annie falls ill and I find her ALT blood test value is 120 and ALP is 200 (both values in the normal range), I will regard this as suspicious despite these values being in the normal range. This is an eightfold increase in ALT and a nearly sevenfold increase in ALP from her previous test, and these values aren’t normal for Annie.
Generally speaking
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Moderate increases (2- to 5-fold increases) require a diagnostic workup (e.g., liver function assays [bile acids or ammonia] and leptospirosis serology/PCR).
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Severe increases (5-fold increases) warrant an immediate diagnostic workup that would likely include liver biopsies.
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Going back to my dog, Annie. Even though an ALT test value of 120 and an ALP test value of 200 are still within the normal range, it isn’t normal for her, and I would focus on liver disease as the cause of her illness.
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Baseline values significantly improve our ability to evaluate lab results.
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We at the New Arundel Veterinary Surgery believe so strongly in obtaining these healthy baseline levels that we are offering the pre-op blood tests at a 25% discount. The regular charge for these tests is $200. If you decide to have the pre-anesthetic blood tests today before your pet’s desexing, you will only be charged $150.
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Whether you choose pre-operative blood tests or not, all of us at The New Arundel Veterinary Surgery will work with you to provide the best health care possible that you are most comfortable with. If you have any questions, please ask.
Dr Reb