Blood work for our pets is an important part of annual care. Having a baseline blood panel includes a complete blood count which checks the blood cells to see what type and how much are present and a serum chemistry that checks your pets internal organs. Doing these panels annually can show gradual changes that may not have otherwise been noticed that may indicate the early onset of some diseases. Having a baseline blood panel done when your pet is healthy can also be useful in an emergency situation. It will allow your vet to compare values when your pet is sick versus when they are healthy. This can show what values are considered normal for your pet. Another benefit of annual blood work is that it can show how continual medication use is affecting your pet’s health and can help your vet determine the therapuetic value of the medication for your pet.