In-house Pathology

Blood tests can give us a wealth of information about your pet’s health.

For example, our vets can work out if your pet is dehydrated, has underlying kidney disease or liver changes, and we can get helpful information about your pet’s red and white blood cells. All of this helps diagnose any underlying health problems and ultimately will improve the level of care we can provide to your pet.

At Eclipse Park Vets, we have an in-house laboratory, which means we can test blood samples right here in Highfields and get results quickly, allowing us to make informed decisions about your pet’s veterinary care.

What happens when we take a blood sample?

Most blood samples are taken from the cephalic vein (in the leg) or for smaller animals, the jugular vein in the neck, which allows us to collect the blood as quickly as possible. This is important because blood will start to clot once it is exposed to the air, and this can affect the results.

Once the blood has been collected, we place pressure over the vein for a minute or so to prevent any bruising. This can sometimes be hard in wriggly patients! And just like when us humans have a blood test, patients will usually come out with a little tape around the sample site too!

The blood is placed into tubes appropriate for required tests, most of which can be run at our in-house laboratory. However, a few tests require more specialised equipment so we send those samples to an external laboratory.

If you have any questions about blood tests and your pet, please give us a call on 1300 859 606 or send us a message.