Pre-anesthesia bloodwork before spay?

Hi All,

I am getting my healthy 5 month old kitty spayed next month. When I called the vet to make the appointment, they said the vet likes to do pre-anesthesia bloodwork on all the cats just in case. The bloodwork, of course, would cost extra ($45).

Do you all think this would be a good idea to get the bloodwork or just an unnecessary cost?

Originally Posted by rosie0708

Hi All,

I am getting my healthy 5 month old kitty spayed next month. When I called the vet to make the appointment, they said the vet likes to do pre-anesthesia bloodwork on all the cats just in case. The bloodwork, of course, would cost extra ($45).

Do you all think this would be a good idea to get the bloodwork or just an unnecessary cost?

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It is a very good idea to have this done and the price you were quoted is reasonable.
If your cat is sensitive or allergic to anesthesia, they can die during the procedure. For most cats, this isn't a problem, but why take the chance?
We do this for every one of our cats, prior to going under the knife for any reason.

I voted yes. I think pre-anesthesia bloodwork is a very good idea, and it's especially important to have this done before any surgical procedure is performed on an aging cat. The bloodwork lets the vet check to make sure the cat's vital organs are functioning normally, and also select the best anesthesia.

We have never done it for any of our cats. As long as your cat has no illnesses and conditions you no about personally I wouldnt bother. The way the vets try and push it on you always feels like its a way for them to make more money (maybe i'm too cynical)

I have a sad story that goes with this very topic.

Tommy was my very first abyssinian cat. Abyssinians tend to have bad teeth genetically. When Tommy was 5 years old I took him to get his teeth worked on as I did many times before. This time Tommy didn't survive the anethestic. He died in a really weird drug induced state 3 days later in a cold cage at the vets office. He initially came home after the teeth cleaning the next day. I got home form work and he came to say hi(he was still drugged acting) and made a sweet meow and collapsed on the floor. We took him to emergencey vet and they gave him fluids and released him to us that night. Tommy went in and out of coma all night. I took him to the vet that worked on his teeth the next day and they kept him. I went to visit him for 3 days and he never really came out of the drug induced state he was in. He died on the 3rd day. I learned a hard lesson from that experience.

I also learned that Ketamine is a very hard drug on their kidneys and livers. From that day forward I always request that the vet uses ISO for anesthetic. It is a gas and they don't get so drugged up. It is a little more expensive but worth it in the long run!!!! It is not hard on their kidneys and liver.

Kim

We recommend it also at my clinic for every patient, young and old. You never know just by looking at them, what's going on inside them. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

I always think if its that important a test the vets would include it in the cost of the Spay/neuter. Lots of people struggle to pay for the spay/neuter so i feel its a bit like morally forcing them to spend more than they can afford. Our vet actually said to us that there wasnt much need unless the cat had some known condition.

Just my opinion.

no vet that i've evr gone to ever suggested it. in fact, i later found out that one of them does no bloodwork at all outside of the feluk test. i'm still trying to find a good one....

I got the extra bloodwork done before Chay's neuter, but only because my breeder told me that some Birmans are sensitive to anethesia, and so I wanted him to be as safe as possible.

I say its a good precaution, but not a necessity. For someone who can afford it, its a nice way to be extra sure that all goes well. But if you can't, you're not being negligent to not get it done, at least in my opinion.

My vet did it as a requirement. I guess there are just enough other vets in the area that people could choose to take thier cats to if they don't want it. It was included in the price of spaying them. He came higly recommended, and really, his price was very reasonable compared to other vets in the area.

I think the reason it's presented as an option rather than as a requirement is that most vets want to encourage people to alter their pets, so they present a bare-bones option at minimal cost, then the recommended option at increased cost.

The price quoted sounds reasonable (it's in line with what some vets in our area charge - some charge more), so if you can afford it I'd recommend getting the pre-op. Not only will it screen for hidden organ problems that might cause problems with anesthesia or during the surgery, even if your kitten is perfectly health it will give you a baseline to measure against future blood test results.

A resounding yes from us! This is not only wise prior to placing your kitty under anesthesia, but will also serve as a good baseline in the future.

I got my friend a Siamese kitten some years ago. She was a healthy, happy little girl kitty. When she took her for spaying, it turned out she was allergic to the anaesthetic and died on the operating table. So I'd say pay the $45 and get the pre-test done.

There is nothing in the blood panel that is going to tell you if an animal is going to be sensitive to the anesthetic, it just tells you how the internal organs are functioning at that particular time. We do not do a pre-anesthetic blood panel for young spays and neuters, and have never had a problem. On another note we did have a client that transferred from a banfield hospital that did have a pre-anesthetic blood panel taken before her spay (it was Shih tzu) and the dog was found to have high kidney values. The dog was diagnosed with kidney failure (congenital) and was told the dog would live maybe another 3 month's (by banfield). We kept the dog going happily till she was almost 2, then she went downhill fast. There are advantages to doing the bloodwork, but not an absolute necessity in my opinion. We do however require a blood panel on any pet over 7 years if they are going to go under an anesthetic.

Originally Posted by Petnurse2265

There is nothing in the blood panel that is going to tell you if an animal is going to be sensitive to the anesthetic, it just tells you how the internal organs are functioning at that particular time. We do not do a pre-anesthetic blood panel for young spays and neuters, and have never had a problem. On another note we did have a client that transferred from a banfield hospital that did have a pre-anesthetic blood panel taken before her spay (it was Shih tzu) and the dog was found to have high kidney values. The dog was diagnosed with kidney failure (congenital) and was told the dog would live maybe another 3 month's (by banfield). We kept the dog going happily till she was almost 2, then she went downhill fast. There are advantages to doing the bloodwork, but not an absolute necessity in my opinion. We do however require a blood panel on any pet over 7 years if they are going to go under an anesthetic.

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a sensitivity test for anesthesia?

No, there is not.

I'd say get it done. My sister has lost two dogs to anesthesia; one was being neutered, and the other was having his teeth cleaned. Both dogs were young, apparently healthy males, and the procedures were done at different veterinary practices.

Originally Posted by Petnurse2265

No, there is not.

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I'm going to have to confront both of our vets at 2 different practices now.

Originally Posted by Petnurse2265

There is nothing in the blood panel that is going to tell you if an animal is going to be sensitive to the anesthetic, it just tells you how the internal organs are functioning at that particular time. We do not do a pre-anesthetic blood panel for young spays and neuters, and have never had a problem.

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This is exactly what my vet explained to me the test did... I chose to have it done on Dori before she was spayed. I paid an additional $35 for the test.

I think that Ketamine is the worst drug in the world to give to animals for anesthetic. I have talked to other people who have lost their animals to that particular drug. After what happened to Tommy I will never let the any vet use that drug on one of my cats again. I have them use ISO on all my cats when they have to be put under. There is probably danger in that drug too, but not as much as ketamine. I notice a big difference when they come back from the vet, they are not as drugged up.