The Pet Times-Pet News for You

By C Swarens

When you take your pet to the veterinarian for a regular check
up or if you are concerned that your pet may be ill, the vet
will likely perform a CBC. A CBC, or complete blood count, is
used to evaluate the cells that circulate through your pet’s
blood. With the help of this test, your vet can find the first
indication that your pet may be ill or in need of medical care
in some way.

What is the CBC?

The CBC test actually takes a count of both the red and white
blood cells in your pet’s blood. With the help of the CBC test,
which requires taking a blood sample and performing what is
called a “blood smear,” the vet can check for signs of illness.
Having a low red blood count, for example, could be a sign that
your pet is suffering from anemia. A high white blood count, on
the other hand, is a sign of infection. Odd blood counts can
also indicate inflammation as well as an immune system disease.

Why is a CBC Performed?

A CBC may be performed as a part of your routine health
screening in order to make certain your pet is healthy. It may
also be performed before undergoing anesthesia in order to be
certain your pet is healthy enough for the procedure.

Even if your pet appears healthy and is not about to undergo
anesthesia, a CBC can catch a problem in its early stages so it
can be treated immediately. The earlier a disease is caught, the
greater the probability of successful treatment.

A CBC may also be performed if your pet has recently
experienced trauma or appears to be sickly in any way. With the
help of the CBC, the veterinarian can better pinpoint the
problem, which can range from a simple infection to something
more complicated. Certain types of cancers, for example, can be
identified with the help of a CBC. This is particularly true of
leukemia, which can sometimes be identified with a simple blood
smear.

Depending upon the results of the CBC, the veterinarian may
recommend a diagnostics test. A diagnostics test is a test that
looks for traits related to a specific disease that the
veterinarian suspects after reviewing the CBC.

How is a CBC Performed?

In order to perform a CBC, your vet or your vet tech will need
to sterilize a needle and then look for a superficial vein from
which blood can be drawn. He or she will then wet your pet’s fur
with alcohol and may snip away some hair in order to better
locate the vein. With the vein properly located, he or she can
then insert the needle and draw out some blood. While this
certainly isn’t a painless procedure for your pet, it is the
same as drawing blood from a human. Therefore, most pets
tolerate it quite well and suffer no harmful affects.

The blood is then placed into a special tube with an
anti-coagulant that prevents the blood from clotting. The blood
is then passed through a machine that is able determine the
number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.
Then, a drop of blood is placed on a slide and examined under a
microscope. Here, the machine’s diagnosis is confirmed and any
abnormalities in the cells are identified.

About the Author: CS Swarens is the president of Find a Pet
Online. 800 998-7065 For additional information on dogs, cats,
birds, horses, and exotic pets visit the internet’s pet resource
including pet classifieds at http://www.findapetonline.com/
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http://www.findapetonline.com/breeds.html

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