The blood test
Blood is the most known biological body fluid. A dog has 90mL of blood per kg, or 1.8L for a dog 20kg. A cat has 75 mL of blood per kg, either 300mL for a 4kg cat.
The blood contains mostly red blood cells (role in the delivery of oxygen to tissues), white blood cells (role in the body's defenses), platelets (role in coagulation), and various metabolites reflecting the functioning of some organs : kidneys, foie…
The blood test is made from a levy imposed by the veterinary. It brings many essential information on the health status of the animal : anemia, infection, intoxication, kidney or liver failure ...
Thus, Your veterinarian can advise you to perform a blood test systematically whenever your pet becomes senior, on the occasion of the comprehensive health Annual Review.