blood results

I took my cat in for a dental & they did blood work three days before the procedure. I'm looking at the results & the Albumin is 4.0, the range is 2.5-3.9, so it's high. The Cholesterol is 258, the range is 75-220, so it's high as well. The T3 (RIA) is less than 40, the range is 40-150, so it's low.

So when I got the results, of course I mentioned the items that were out of range & they said there is nothing on the blood work to be concerned about, I said even the thyroid? She said the T4 is more accurate. So I came home & researched & my cat is thin, the vet said she's small & she's at the ideal weight, but I think she could use a few more pounds. She has been on Natures Variety & Soulistic chicken & with the NV, everyone says it's high fat, why isn't my cat a porker then? I also know that the Cholesterol can test high if they just ate, I took her to the vet at like 10 & she eats at like 7 & then throughout the day. I also read that high Cholesterol can cause the Albumin to be high so to me, those go hand in hand. My little girl is about 3 so I just want to make sure I'm doing all I can for her.

Oh & I'm switching back to Weruva when the NV is gone, probably another couple of weeks. The vet also suggested I feed dry to help with her teeth. Funny that most people on here believes otherwise, I'm confused as to what to do anymore!

Okay, high cholesterol in cats is not a big deal-- it's not like a human, and as you said, if your cat ate recently before the blood work, it could nudge that cholesterol reading a bit. That's not an alarming reading at all. And if Kitty ate recently (which it sounds like is the case), then the albumin can also tick up temporarily. That value of 4,0 on a normal reference high of 3.9, again, is nothing alarming.

In cats, the T4 IS more accurate for diagnosing hyperthyroidism than the T3, and we used to use the 'Free T4 by Equilibrium Dialysis", a send-out test to get the most accurate readings of all... and this was how we routinely did feline thyroid tests. The usual tests that vets use are not super-accurate for cats. They're much more accurate for dogs, since we test d*gs for HYPO- (or low) thyroidism. Cats, as you know, are much more likely to be HYPER-T, not hypo-T. And hyper-T USUALLY doesn't come into the picture until a cat is a senior, 11-13 or older. Of course, there are the rare cases where it can appear earlier, but suffice to say, those are few and far between. HYPO-T affects WAY more dogs than cats, and that one can come on earlier.

Fats themselves don't make a cat 'fat', and they don't utilize fats like we do. Fats are a valuable energy source. It's hard to remember that different species use the 'components' of food differently than people do.

So, how can you tell if your cat is too plump, too lean, or just right? Well, here is a good place to start, It's a Body Condition Score chart. This cool chart tells you what you should see and feel when you check your kitty's body condition, and it has some profiles to illustrate what an underweight, or 'thin', or average/ideal, or 'plump, or obese cat would look like. A BCS of 4.5 to 5.5 is just about ideal-- with cats that tend to come from lean stock (like 'new Siamese') trending leaner, and stockier cats like Persians and Maine Coons trending closer to the 5.5 side. Do you know what breeds are in your cat, or is she a 'Domestic ____hair'? (longhair, shorthair?) If you have a photo to post that shows her face and limbs (bone structure), perhaps we can help you determine if she's meant to be a lithe, willowy kitty or a sturdy and bulky 'alley sweeper' (what we affectionately call big, muscular cats-- especially very large toms, whether intact or neutered or indoors-only or outdoors).


~MackieMac

(currently inactive vet worker with over 25 years of experience)

Thanks, I guess I won't worry about the blood. According to the chart, my kitty is in the ideal range, but like I said, she may be healthy weight but I think she could add a few more pounds. She is smaller than my other kitties.


The first pic is the most recent, this year, the other picture is from last year.

Aw, she's cute! She looks a bit like one of our clinic cats from a hospital where I worked for several years, until the vet passed away. We had two, a male and a female named Oscar and Emmy (clever, huh?). Your girl looks somewhat like Emmy. She was a little social butterfly and she ruled the front. Oscar was the comforter and he handled the back, comforting some of the patients. 

Your others are also pretty kitties... is she the only girl?

I think she's cute as well! I like those cat names, that is clever. No, they are all girls. I won't ever get a male cat again. My girl totally rules the house,s he's everywhere there's something going on & she's always the one to catch the house mice!

Thanks for caring so much about your pets! Sounds like the blood work was okay, which is a relief. What three beautiful ladies you have.