Blood Tests

Bloodwork plays a vital role in determining the overall health of your cat. We have the ability to run blood tests in house and we also have the option to submit bloodwork to an outside lab called Idexx.

Why are blood tests important for my cat’s health?

Blood tests or bloodwork checks the function of the internal organs of your cat, as well as the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Running regular bloodwork on your cat can help catch any illnesses and diseases early, which in turn can help with the prognosis.

How long does it take to get blood test results?

This will depend on what blood test we are running. Any blood work that is run in clinic takes about an hour. However, if we need to send out the blood sample to our external lab, most tests can take 1-2 days to get the results, and some others can take up to a week.

How should I prepare my cat for their blood tests?

Routine blood work does not usually require any preparation for the owner. Depending on what we are testing for your cat, they may need to be fasted, require the blood to be drawn at a certain time after a medication has been given, or we may need to keep your cat for the day. The best option is to give us a call for more information.

How often should blood tests be done?

We recommend doing routine blood work on a yearly basis, even if your cat is not showing any signs and appears relatively healthy. Every cat has their own baseline of normal and knowing their normal when they are not sick can help determine the degree of illness when or if they become ill.

Does your hospital perform urinalysis and biopsy?

At Embrun Veterinary Hospital, we do perform urinalysis. This is a test that we can run in clinic, but in special cases we may need to send it to Idexx (our external laboratory). We can also perform biopsy procedures at our hospital. These samples are also sent to Idexx for evaluation and interpretation.