Why We Recommend Pre-Anaesthetic Bloodwork

Nina, a cuddly tortie, recently came in for her routine dental. As Nina is almost 10 years old, her owner elected to have pre-anaesthetic blood tests performed prior to her procedure.

Apart from gaining a little weight, Nina seemed completely normal at home. She was happy, comfortable, and simply enjoying life.

But her bloods tests told a different story…

Nina’s results showed a very high blood glucose level, and further testing confirmed that she was in the very early stages of diabetes.

The surprising part? Nina wasn’t showing any classic signs of diabetes, such as drinking more, urinating more, or having an increased appetite.

Constant glucose monitoring is the best way to understand diabetes in cats. A monitor (Freestyle Libre) can be placed in clinic, and records results over many days, that we can access in real time.

Because her condition was detected so early, Nina has started a weight loss diet to reduce insulin resistance, and there is a good chance her diabetes may even be reversible!

Nina’s story is a wonderful reminder that pre-anaesthetic and annual blood tests do much more than tell us if your pet is safe for anaesthetic, they can also uncover hidden health problems and allow us to intervene early, potentially improving and even extending your pets life.