"Pre-anaesthetic blood work" checks that your pet's major organs are functioning properly. This is very important with respect to any general anaesthesia since these organs are responsible for properly processing and eliminating the drugs used for anaesthesia. Blood work can, therefore, reduce the risk associated with general anaesthesia and bring to light any hidden health conditions that may add to that risk for your pet.

As your pet ages, the risk for undetected diseases also increases. Appropriate testing and monitoring to identify these problems before anaesthesia becomes even more important. In order to decrease risk, your veterinarian may take action such as change anaesthetic drugs, postpone or even cancel an elective procedure. Consult your veterinarian about your particular pet's circumstances with respect to blood work.