17/03/2026
FYI 🐾
👓 Reading Your Dog’s Bloodwork
What “Normal” Doesn’t Always Tell You
Your dog’s bloodwork comes back.
Your veterinarian says… “Everything looks normal.”
But your dog still has symptoms.
Low energy. Digestive issues. Skin problems. Something just feels… off.
So what does “normal” actually mean❓️
🧬 Normal vs. Optimal
Veterinary reference ranges are designed to detect disease, not to define optimal health.
They are also based largely on populations of kibble-fed dogs, not dogs eating fresh, species-appropriate diets.
This matters more than most pet parents realize because...
nutrition directly influences blood chemistry.
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KIDNEY Markers
🩸BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen)
This marker often rises with higher protein intake.
👉 In fresh-fed dogs, a higher BUN can be completely normal
—as long as:
▪️Creatinine is within range
▪️Your dog is well hydrated
🩸Creatinine
A more reliable indicator of kidney function.
👉 Can appear slightly elevated in:
▪️muscular dogs
▪️dogs eating higher-protein, fresh diets
🩸SDMA (Symmetric Dimethylarginine)
A newer, more sensitive kidney marker.
👉 Often rises earlier than creatinine when kidney function begins to decline
👉 Less influenced by muscle mass, making it especially useful in:
▪️senior dogs
▪️lean or muscle-wasted dogs
Key Note:
An elevated BUN alone does not equal kidney disease.
And no single marker, including SDMA, should be interpreted in isolation.
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LIVER Markers
🩸ALKP (Alkaline Phosphatase)
Often overlooked unless significantly elevated.
But mild or chronic elevations or low levels may be associated with:
▪️stress (cortisol influence)
▪️medication use
▪️possible micronutrient imbalances (such as zinc)
🩸ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase)
Indicates liver cell stress or irritation, not function.
👉 Mild elevations can occur with:
▪️dietary changes
▪️detoxification processes
Key Note:
Single values don’t tell the full story, patterns and trends do.
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PANCREAS & Digestive Enzymes
🩸Amylase & Lipase
These enzymes are often used to assess pancreatic health, but they are not definitive on their own.
👉 Levels may fluctuate based on:
▪️diet composition
▪️recent meals
▪️metabolic changes
Key Note:
These markers must be interpreted alongside clinical symptoms, not in isolation.
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IMMUNE SYSTEM Clues
🩸Lymphocytes
⬆️ Elevated: may indicate immune stimulation, infection, or chronic disease
⬇️ Low: may reflect stress or immune suppression
Key Note:
The immune system leaves clues in bloodwork, but context is everything.
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🥩 Fresh-Fed vs. Kibble-Fed Dogs
Dogs eating a fresh, species-appropriate diet often present differently on lab work.
This can include:
✔️Higher BUN due to natural protein intake
✔️Differences in mineral balance
✔️Leaner metabolic markers
These differences are not abnormalities, they are physiological adaptations to real food.
📊 What Matters Most
Bloodwork should never be viewed as:
▪️a single number
▪️a single moment in time
▪️or a one-size-fits-all interpretation
Instead, it should be viewed as:
✅️ a pattern
✅️ a story
✅️ a reflection of diet, lifestyle, and physiology
✨ Final Thought
“Normal” does not always mean thriving.
And numbers alone don’t define your dog’s health 👇
context does.
📌 Save this post so you can reference it the next time your dog has lab work done.
If you have ever been told your dog’s labs are “normal”…
but your dog is not...
you’re not alone.
At The Holistic Canine, we interpret labs based on the big picture. If you’d like help understanding your dog’s results, we are only a phone call away! Book now to get started: theholisticcanine.us 💚
Kimberly Styn Lloyd, PhD, BCHHP
Board-Certified Nutrition Practitioner
Certified Canine & Feline Clinical Nutritionist (AAVSB approved)
NPI Registered Provider
