20/10/2026
Why do we recommend blood tests before an anaesthetic?
This lovely senior cat came in for a dental procedure, but her pre-anaesthetic blood tests revealed something — hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland)!
Hyperthyroidism is relatively common in older cats and can affect their heart rate, blood pressure and metabolism, potentially increasing the risks associated with anaesthesia.
With this new information, we decided to postpone her dental procedure until she had started thyroid treatment and her condition was better controlled.
This is exactly why pre-anaesthetic blood tests are so valuable, particularly in our older patients!
Even when pets appear healthy, blood tests can sometimes uncover underlying conditions such as kidney disease, diabetes, liver disease, hyperthyroidism, electrolyte abnormalities that can be seen with conditions like addisons.
Identifying these conditions before an anaesthetic allows us to adjust our anaesthetic plan, provide appropriate treatment or, when necessary, delay a procedure until it's safer to proceed.
