Pet blood work resources: CBC, chemistry and kidney values.

Start here: understand the AI DiagAnimals report.

Three habits for reading dog and cat blood work.

• Keep values, units and the laboratory’s reference intervals together.
• Read the laboratory comments and the reason the test was requested, not only the high or low flag.
• Write down what you would like your veterinarian to explain, including anything that seems inconsistent.

SDMA, creatinine and BUN: kidney values in senior dogs and cats.

As pets age, blood work is repeated more often and the same lines come back on each report. Creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) are waste products that the kidneys remove. SDMA (symmetric dimethylarginine) is another marker of kidney filtration that many laboratories offer for dogs and cats.

These values are always read with the laboratory’s reference interval, the animal’s hydration, a urinalysis and the trend compared with previous results. For stable chronic kidney disease, the International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) describes a staging system based on fasting creatinine and/or SDMA, completed by proteinuria and blood pressure: your veterinarian establishes it, using repeated measurements.

• Bring previous reports: a trend often says more than a single value.
• Ask whether a urinalysis or a repeat test is planned before drawing a conclusion.
• Note changes in thirst, appetite, weight and litter-box or walk habits.

How we communicate about lab results.

Our editorial approach explains the boundaries around generated explanations. The science and ethics page sets out the place of professional expertise in the service.