What happens when we run a blood test?

When it comes to finding out more about the health of your pet, blood tests are a powerful tool. They provide us with an insight into the health of many organs and can also confirm if your pet is safe to undergo anaesthesia. They are important in the diagnosis of disease and can help rule out endocrine diseases (such as Addison’s disease).

What exactly happens when we take blood from your pet?

Most blood samples are taken from the jugular vein in the neck. This vein is large enough to provide a good sample and allows us to collect the blood as quickly as possible. This is important as blood will start to clot if it is not collected quickly enough and this can affect the results.

Most pets are also more relaxed when blood is taken from their jugular, however, if necessary, a smaller sample can be taken from a vein in the leg (although we generally try to save these veins for catheter placement.)

Once the blood has been collected, we place pressure over the vein for a minute or so to prevent any bruising.

The blood is then placed into tubes appropriate for required tests. Some tests can be run on machines we have ‘in-house’ but there are certain tests that are sent to an external laboratory, as they may require more extensive machinery.

We are always here to answer any questions you might have about your pet’s health.