I got a quote from my vet to get Nanook neuter. They do not neuter until 7 months so the quote was for over 50lbs...$309...most of that just blood work. My friend took her dog to a low cost clinic and it was just $100 but no blood work....is the blood work important? I asked the vet if they heard of the low cost clinic and of course they said the blood work is important. Does anyone know what they actually test for?

They test the how the liver and kidney are functioning since they filter out the anesthesia. Lets them know of any infections you may not know about how fast their blood clots ect. It's not necessary but it is recommended.
Not to scare you but if they have low creatine/bun levels they may not wake up.

That and like Amora mentioned it checks clotting and if they don't clot well they could bleed out on the operating table. We just got our Nanook neutered yesterday so he's had the COS on and hating every minute of it lol. I feel bad for the guy even though it's kinda funny to watch him walk around with it on.

They test, like in humans, liver and kidney function, blood protein levels, blood sugar levels, electrolyte levels, and sometimes a CBC, or complete blood count ( WBC, RBC, hydration level, etc.). Usually bloodwork for elective surgeries is optional. I always recommend doing baseline bloodwork on young dogs, that way the doctors have normal values specific for you dog, that way if there are any changes later on down the road, they will be able to notice the differences better and treatment would be more prompt and effective.

ETA- most vets do NOT do clotting tests (Prothrobin Time or PT) in house, that's something that gets sent out to an outside lab. There is a crude clotting time measurement, but is not as reliable as the one that ABAXIS or IDEXX does.

amora wrote:

Not to scare you but if they have low creatine/bun levels they may not wake up.

This ^ is not true. Plenty of patients with kidney disease get put under an anesthetic and are just fine. Risky, yes. Anesthetic protocols, especially at AAHA accredited hospitals are very safe.

hypers987 wrote:

amora wrote:

Not to scare you but if they have low creatine/bun levels they may not wake up.

This ^ is not true. Plenty of patients with kidney disease get put under an anesthetic and are just fine. Risky, yes. Anesthetic protocols, especially at AAHA accredited hospitals are very safe.

But isn't that because they know they have kidney problems and can adjust the anesthesia accordingly?

I actually work in a vet clinic and yes the blood work is important. You can have it done without the blood work. But the blood work is what helps the vet(s) (the ones that I work with) have a better ideal of what to expect and do if something was to happen during and after the surgery and the risks involved.

amora wrote:

hypers987 wrote:

amora wrote:

Not to scare you but if they have low creatine/bun levels they may not wake up.

This ^ is not true. Plenty of patients with kidney disease get put under an anesthetic and are just fine. Risky, yes. Anesthetic protocols, especially at AAHA accredited hospitals are very safe.

But isn't that because they know they have kidney problems and can adjust the anesthesia accordingly?

Not the anesthesia, the pre-medications and the induction drugs. Usually with higher risk patients we use Propofol, which has a higher MAC value and can be given CRI (continuous rate infusion) to maintain, instead of using a gas anesthetic like Isoflurane or Sevoflurane (the Dr can also add Nitirous Oxide to lower the gas anesthetics as well if he'she decides to go that route) The Dr decides, depending on the age, bloodwork, and urinalyisis (if applicable) what medications are contraindicated for the specific condition (in this case, kidney disease).

I really appreciate all the input on the subject. Sounds like they can really be better prepared for the unknown if they have the blood work.