The top four reasons to test your pet before anesthesia

1) You deserve peace of mind. Testing can significantly reduce medical risk and ensure your pet's health and safety.

2) Pets can't tell us when they don't feel well. A healthy-appearing pet may be hiding symptoms of disease or ailment. For example, a pet can lose up to 75% of kidney function before showing any visible signs of illness. Testing helps us evaluate your pet's health up front, so we can avoid problems related to anesthesia.

3) Testing can reduce risk and consequences. If preanesthetic results are within normal ranges, we can proceed with confidence, knowing that anesthetic risk is minimized. On the other hand, if results are not within the normal ranges, we can take precautions to safeguard your pet's health and reduce the risk of potential complications.

4) Testing can help protect your pet's future health. These tests provide baseline levels for your pet and become part of his or her medical record for future reference.

Help your pet stay healthy by testing first. It's our job to insure that your pet can properly process and then eliminate the anesthetic he or she is given. Before we perform any procedure requiring anesthesia, we run tests (unless you refuse them) to confirm that your pet's organs are functioning properly and to reveal any hidden health conditions that could put your pet at risk.

*AAHA-American Animal Hospital Association