Starting from a young age, your veterinarian will recommend annual blood work for your cat. When your cat is young and healthy, you may question how kitten blood work is beneficial. Let’s learn more about what kinds of blood tests are recommended and the importance of annual blood work for your cat.
When should a young cat get lab work?
Your veterinarian will recommend an annual complete blood count (CBC), blood chemistry and heartworm test for your young adult cat.
Complete blood count (CBC)
A CBC looks at the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets your pet has. The CBC contains a lot of important information about your cat’s overall health. For example, a cat who is anemic due to a flea infestation will have a low red blood cell count on the CBC. A cat with an active infection or parasite infestation will have elevated counts of specific white blood cells. A young cat with a bleeding disorder may have decreased platelet counts.
Serum biochemistry
A blood biochemistry is how your veterinarian monitors the health of your cat’s organs, such as their kidney or liver. A cat with congenital kidney disease might have elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine on their blood test, for instance. The blood chemistry can also show electrolyte levels, which can easily become altered by issues such as vomiting, diarrhea or kidney disease. Many biochemistry panels also come with a measurement of your cat’s thyroid hormone level.
Heartworm test
The heartworm test is required annually in order for you to purchase heartworm preventive. This test can be performed in-house with a few drops of blood.
A note on the FIV/FeLV test
The test for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and the feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is performed during the initial kitten vaccine series. If your cat goes outside, FIV/FeLV testing may be recommended on a more regular basis (such as annually) and may be recommended if your cat ever becomes ill.
Why is blood work important for young cats?
The two main benefits of routine blood tests are that:
- They allow the veterinarian to determine your young cat’s baseline blood values so that changes can be monitored over the years.
- They allow for earlier detection of chronic health conditions like kidney disease, liver disease or hyperthyroidism.
Blood work is also performed before surgeries to make sure your young cat is healthy enough for anesthesia.
Understanding your cat’s lab work results
Your kitten’s blood work has reference ranges listed for each blood characteristic, such as potassium level or number of red blood cells, included on the report. Cat reference ranges are the range of values that are considered normal for most healthy cats. The blood work will show if a blood value is below or above the reference range.
A value being slightly above or below reference range may or may not be relevant. It’s important to review blood work with your veterinarian, who can combine their knowledge of your cat’s history and physical exam with the findings of the lab work.
The big picture
It can be tempting to forego blood work when your kitten is young to save money, but your young cat’s blood work is important for establishing what’s normal for them and for early disease detection.
