When a cat visits a veterinarian for a medical procedure requiring anesthesia, the office will likely recommend that blood testing be done prior to the procedure. These tests are elective and can be quite costly. In the case of spay or neutering a cat, the blood work may increase the cost of the procedure by 50 to 70 percent. Because these tests are not mandatory, budget conscious pet owners may chose to decline them, but is this really the best idea?
Pre-anesthetic tests are done to determine the overall health of the animal. While they will not eliminate the risk of complications that can occur when a cat is anesthetized, they can provide insight into the animals overall health that can be used by the veterinarian to alter the anesthetic procedure and safeguard the cats health during surgery. Anesthesia is very safe for healthy pets but can be life threatening for those with certain medical conditions including partial kidney failure. A cat may lose up to 75% of its kidney functions before showing any visible signs of a health problem. Blood testing is the only way to insure that the cat is not suffering from this condition prior to administering anesthesia. Knowing that there is an issue comes with the added benefits of early detection and treatment can begin right after surgery. These tests also provide a baseline for the pets overall health that can be referred to later and used to help identify future health problems.
Pre-anesthetic testing is very beneficial to cats and provides peace of mind for their owners and the veterinary staff. These tests should be considered any time the cat requires surgery. To avoid costly surprises, pet owners can ask their vets office if these tests will be offered when scheduling the surgery and, if so, what the additional cost will be. If the answer is no, pet owners should be concerned. These tests are common practice and should be offered.
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