What causes low protein levels in cats?
Low albumin (a blood protein) – associated with a various conditions that cause weight loss including liver failure, kidney disease, blood loss, intestinal disease, liver shunts, pancreatic insufficiency and more. Altered electrolytes. Electrolytes are salts and minerals found in the blood.
What is ALKP in cats?
Alkaline phosphatase (ALKP): Elevations in this test may indicate liver damage, Cushing’s disease or active bone growth in a young cat. This test is especially significant in cats. Alanine aminotansferase (ALT): This test may determine active liver damage, but does not indicate the cause.
What is Hypoproteinemia in cats?
When disease occurs, protein loss may exceed protein manufacturing by the body. This is called “hypoproteinemia.” When hypoproteinemia is severe, fluid may leak from the circulatory system into the abdomen, chest, or out of the tiny blood vessels in the limbs, causing swelling of the legs.
How to interpret your cat’s blood work results?
MCHC (Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) is another value for interpreting hemoglobin concentrations in cells. RDW (Red blood cell distribution width) elevations can indicate that there is an increased variety in red blood cell sizes. This value should be interpreted along with other red blood cell values.
What does it mean when your cat has low blood sugar?
GLUCOSE is a blood sugar. Elevated levels can indicate diabetes mellitus, but in cats, mildly elevated levels can also just indicate stress. Low levels can happen with insulin shock or malabsorption syndromes and can cause weakness, seizures, or death. SERUM UREA NITROGEN (also known as Blood Urea Nitrogen) generally indicates kidney function.
When to do lab work on a cat?
So we always want to check lab work before they go under anesthesia to make sure it’s safe for them. Otherwise, we’d do lab work if there are any signs of illness— vomiting, weight loss, if their appetite is down, and also there’s some viral testing we like to do on kittens as well.
What does it mean when your cats white blood count is low?
T4 (ANIMAL THYROXINE) is a thyroid hormone. Decreased levels in cats do not signal hypothyroidism, rather, they can indicate an underlying disease process. Elevated levels indicate hyperthyroidism. WHITE BLOOD COUNT measures the body’s immune cells. Increases or decreases indicate certain diseases or infections.
What do all those laboratory tests tell me about my cat’s?
Testing for feline leukemia and feline AIDS are often part of a basic blood screen as well. These diseases are both caused by retroviruses, although the feline leukemia virus is different from the feline AIDS virus.
What does a complete blood count tell you about a cat?
A complete blood count examines your cat’s white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. White blood cells (WBCs) are part of the body’s immune system. Red blood cells (RBCs) are the cells in the blood stream that are responsible for carrying oxygen to the different tissues in the body. Platelets are necessary for blood clotting.
How to check for CKD in older cats?
Chronic Kidney Disease Screening and Confirmation Testing in Cats 1 CKD SCREENING TESTS. Because CKD is a common disease for older cats and can progress quietly… 2 THYROID TESTING. As cats reach their senior years, adding a total thyroxine test to screen… 3 STAGES OF CKD. CKD in cats can progress at highly variable rates; for some cats,…
What does it mean when your cat’s blood sugar is high?
GLOB- Globulin- a blood protein. Increased levels indicates inflammation and certain other diseases. GLU- Glucose otherwise known as blood sugar. High levels can point to diabetes, lower levels can cause the cat to suffer seizures, tremors or collapse.