Monitoring Blood with Chronic Medication Use

By analyzing the many components of blood, we are able to better determine the health status of your pet. Because your pet cannot describe symptoms to let us know what might be wrong, we recommend blood tests to give us the answers that we need, especially when animals are taking medications for a long time or permanently.

Serum chemistry profiles allow us to evaluate the status of your pet’s major organs. The kidneys and liver are especially important because these organs process and rid the body of medications and toxins. Most major organs affect the chemical make up of blood. By measuring the levels of specific enzymes in the blood, we are able to better determine if your pet is healthy enough to take or continue to take a specific medication.

The complete blood count (CBC) determines the relative and exact numbers of all of the cells found in the blood. Red blood cells (RBC’s) are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. White blood cells (WBC’s) are the body’s primary means of fighting infection. There are several types of white blood cells and each type has a specific function. Platelets play an important role in blood clotting and are critical in helping the body stop bleeding.

Depending on the results of your pet’s blood test, we may adjust the dose or type of medication being used. Often we are able to make specific diagnosis based upon blood test results. This enables us to fine-tune the treatment and better advise you as to the prognosis of your pet’s illness and therapy.

We generally recommend blood testing prior to beginning a long term medication, after one month of taking the medication and then at six month intervals there after.