Pet blood tests
Why does my vet send blood to a laboratory instead of testing it in the clinic?
Clinics can run some tests in-house, but a dedicated veterinary laboratory has calibrated analysers, quality-control checks and trained pathologists that a clinic can't maintain for every test type. Vets typically use in-house testing for urgent answers and a reference laboratory for broader panels, unusual results, or anything needing specialist interpretation. The two work together — speed from the clinic, depth and confirmation from the lab.
How long do pet blood test results take in Australia?
Routine blood panels — full blood counts, biochemistry and health profiles — are typically completed the same day the sample reaches the laboratory, with most remaining tests within 24 hours. More specialised tests — cultures, hormone panels sent to referral labs, or tissue examination — can take several days. Your vet clinic will usually tell you when to expect a call; if results are urgent, laboratories flag and phone significant findings through to the vet promptly.
What does a full blood count (FBC/CBC) show in dogs and cats?
A full blood count measures the cells in your pet's blood: red cells (oxygen transport, anaemia), white cells (infection and inflammation response) and platelets (clotting). Shifts in these counts help a vet detect anaemia, infection, inflammation, clotting problems and some blood disorders — often before outward signs appear. It's one of the most common first-line tests because so many conditions leave fingerprints in the blood.
What does a biochemistry panel test for in pets?
A biochemistry panel measures chemicals and enzymes in the blood to check how internal organs are working — especially the kidneys and liver — along with proteins, electrolytes, minerals and glucose. Where a blood count looks at cells, biochemistry looks at what organs release into the bloodstream. Vets read the pattern across markers, together with your pet's history and examination, rather than judging any single number alone.
Does my pet need to fast before a blood test?
Often, yes — food can nudge several blood values (like glucose and fats) and make results harder to interpret, so vets commonly ask for a fasting sample for routine panels. Water is generally fine. Always follow your own vet's instructions, because the right preparation depends on which tests are being run and on your pet's health — some pets, like small diabetics, shouldn't fast without specific guidance.
Why does my vet want blood work before surgery or anaesthesia?
Pre-anaesthetic blood testing checks the organs that process anaesthetic drugs — mainly the liver and kidneys — plus red cell levels and clotting indicators, before your pet goes under. A normal result supports proceeding as planned; an abnormal one lets the vet adjust the drug protocol, add supportive care like fluids, or postpone. It replaces assumptions with evidence at the moment it matters most.
Lumps, biopsies and samples
What is the difference between cytology and histopathology?
Cytology examines loose cells — often collected with a fine needle from a lump — and gives a fast first impression. Histopathology examines an intact piece of tissue with its architecture preserved: the sample is set in wax, sliced thin, stained and read by a veterinary pathologist. It takes longer but usually gives the fuller, more definitive picture. Vets often use cytology first and histopathology to confirm.
How long do biopsy results take for a dog or cat?
Histopathology can't be rushed: fixing, embedding, sectioning and staining tissue takes time, and then a qualified veterinary pathologist examines it carefully. Most results are returned within a few days of the laboratory receiving the sample; complex cases or extra stains can add time. A considered result beats a fast guess — the wait is the process working, not a delay.
What does "clean margins" mean on a biopsy report?
When a lump is surgically removed, the pathologist examines the edges of the sample — the margins. "Clean" or "complete" margins mean no abnormal cells reach the edge, suggesting the whole growth was removed. Cells at or near the margin may prompt a conversation about monitoring, further surgery or other options. It's one of the most practically important lines on the report — ask your vet to walk you through it.
Is a biopsy bad news for my pet?
No — a biopsy is the tool that replaces uncertainty with fact. Most lumps in pets are benign, and a biopsy is how a vet tells a harmless fatty lump from something needing treatment. Whatever the result, you and your vet end up knowing what you're dealing with, which is always better than watching and wondering. Getting an answer early usually means more options, not fewer.
Thyroid testing
What is a thyroid panel for dogs?
A thyroid panel measures thyroid hormone levels and related markers in a dog's blood to assess whether the thyroid gland is under-active (hypothyroidism — common in middle-aged dogs) or, rarely in dogs, over-active. Because illness and some medications can lower thyroid hormones without true thyroid disease, vets often use a panel of several markers rather than a single value, and interpret it alongside clinical signs.
What is the MSU (Michigan State University) thyroid panel?
The MSU thyroid panel is a comprehensive thyroid profile developed at Michigan State University's veterinary diagnostic laboratory, measuring multiple thyroid hormones and antibodies together. Vets may request comprehensive panels like this when screening breeding dogs or investigating ambiguous thyroid results, because the combination of markers distinguishes true thyroid disease from other causes of low hormone readings better than single tests. Ask your vet which thyroid testing best fits your dog's situation.
How is hyperthyroidism diagnosed in cats?
Hyperthyroidism — an over-active thyroid — is common in older cats and is usually diagnosed with a blood test measuring thyroid hormone (T4), often alongside a general panel to check kidneys and liver before treatment decisions. Weight loss despite a good appetite is the classic sign. Because early disease can sit near the normal range, vets sometimes repeat testing or add further thyroid markers.
Kidneys, diabetes and monitoring
How is kidney disease detected early in cats and dogs?
Early kidney disease often shows no outward signs — pets compensate until much of the function is lost. Blood markers (like urea and creatinine) combined with a urine test (checking how well the kidneys concentrate urine and whether protein is leaking) can reveal trouble far earlier than symptoms. That's why vets recommend baseline and regular senior screening: caught early, kidney disease can often be managed for years.
Why does my vet want a urine sample as well as blood?
Blood and urine answer different questions. Blood shows what's circulating — waste products, enzymes, hormones. Urine shows what the kidneys are doing about it: how well they concentrate, whether protein or glucose is escaping, and whether there's infection or crystals. For kidneys especially, the two together tell a story neither can tell alone, which is why vets so often ask for both.
How do vets diagnose and monitor diabetes in pets?
Diabetes is typically diagnosed from persistently high blood glucose plus glucose in the urine, in a pet with matching signs — drinking more, urinating more, weight change. Because stress alone can spike glucose (especially in cats), vets may use additional markers that reflect average glucose over recent weeks. Once diagnosed, ongoing laboratory monitoring guides insulin dosing and catches complications early.
Senior pets and routine screening
How often should older dogs and cats have blood tests?
Many vets recommend at least yearly laboratory screening for senior pets — often twice-yearly for the elderly — because age-related conditions like kidney disease, thyroid problems and diabetes develop quietly. Pets age several human-years for each calendar year, so an annual test is like a person testing every four to six years. Your vet will tailor frequency to your pet's age, breed and history.
What is a baseline blood test and why does it matter?
A baseline is a set of results taken while your pet is well. Its value appears later: "normal" differs between individuals, so when your pet is unwell, results compared against their own healthy baseline reveal change far more sensitively than population ranges alone. Baselines taken at a young-adult health check or before routine surgery quietly become one of the most useful things in your pet's medical file.
About NovaVet Diagnostics
Who is NovaVet Diagnostics?
NovaVet Diagnostics is an independent, wholly veterinarian-owned diagnostic pathology laboratory in Bayswater, Perth, serving veterinary clinics across Western Australia. Its directors bring over 30 years of diagnostic pathology experience, and the laboratory runs a comprehensive test directory — from routine blood panels to cytology, endocrinology, microbiology and molecular diagnostics — with a personal, non-corporate approach. [Link → About page]
Can pet owners send samples directly to NovaVet?
Laboratory testing works through your veterinarian: the vet collects the right sample the right way, provides the clinical history a pathologist needs, and — critically — interprets the results for your individual pet and decides what happens next. If you'd like NovaVet involved in your pet's care, ask your vet clinic — clinics across Perth and WA use NovaVet as their reference laboratory.
How do vet clinics send samples to NovaVet?
NovaVet serves clinics across the Perth metro area with clinic-ordered courier pickup and in-lab sample tracking, with options to request additional tests as cases develop. Clinics can contact the laboratory on (08) 6186 2200 or via novavetdiagnostics.com.au to set up an account and courier schedule.
What species does NovaVet test for?
NovaVet's test directory spans companion animals (dogs and cats), equine, exotic and production species — over 170 tests across biochemistry, haematology, cytology, endocrinology, microbiology and molecular diagnostics.
Still have a question?
Pet owners: please talk to your vet, who can order the right test and explain the result for your pet. Vet clinics: call NovaVet Diagnostics on (08) 6186 2200 or browse the full test directory.