Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website
- Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
- Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
- Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
- Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
- Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
Blood Testing in the Geriatric Dog
Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website
- Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
- Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
- Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
- Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
- Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
Read
Introduction
Older dogs often have complex, multisystem medical challenges, and blood testing is part of a thorough diagnostic work-up in the clinic; indeed early detection of disease is often paramount for successful treatment and/or a superior quality of life for our geriatric patients. However, annual or semi-annual blood testing may not only enable early identification of problems, it will also allow evaluation of trends and the monitoring of the systemic response to disease treatment. The establishment of baseline data may be invaluable when assessing subsequent alterations of a particular blood parameter, especially when the changes are incremental over time; a small increase in magnitude may not be as significant as the long-term trend of a given parameter. It is also prudent to perform baseline blood work prior to the initiation of medications, and in particular to evaluate renal and liver function. Geriatric blood testing should include a complete blood count, a serum or plasma biochemistry profile which incorporates electrolytes, and urinalysis. Additional tests may then be indicated based on irregularities detected on laboratory data and/or physical examination findings.
Key Points
-
Geriatric blood testing should include a complete blood count, a serum or plasma biochemistry profile that incorporates electrolytes, and urinalysis, with additional tests performed as necessary.
-
It is prudent to perform survey blood tests prior to initiating some medication in the older dog; in particular renal and liver function should be evaluated.
-
Creatinine is the more reliable indicator of GFR, whereas urea nitrogen concentrations may be affected by high protein meals and gastrointestinal hemorrhage and dehydration.
-
Liver enzyme elevations in older dogs should always be investigated. These elevations may not be directly related to primary liver disease but rather reflect the liver’s response to other systemic or metabolic illnesses.
Get access to all handy features included in the IVIS website
- Get unlimited access to books, proceedings and journals.
- Get access to a global catalogue of meetings, on-site and online courses, webinars and educational videos.
- Bookmark your favorite articles in My Library for future reading.
- Save future meetings and courses in My Calendar and My e-Learning.
- Ask authors questions and read what others have to say.
About
How to reference this publication (Harvard system)?
Author(s)
Copyright Statement
© All text and images in this publication are copyright protected and cannot be reproduced or copied in any way.Related Content
Readers also viewed these publications
Subscribe
Access to the content of the Veterinary Focus website is reserved for animal health professionals. If you do not yet have a user account with Royal Canin you can create a free account by selecting the New User form. Subscription to the journal is free and issues in your preferred language can be obtained at the Veterinary Focus website.
Comments (0)
Ask the author
0 comments