Why Your Vet is Out For Bunny Blood
Whether an illness or a checkup brought you in to see your vet, she will often recommend a blood test. While your detailed history and the physical exam will provide some information, a good look into whats going on inside your bunny’s body is best provided by an analysis of blood. This can help both in diagnosing a problem as well as heading off any future problems before they become critical.
How blood is taken: What do many rabbits hate most about having blood taken? Simply being restrained. My 15 pound rabbit turns the process into a rabbit rodeo, with up to four people hanging on as she lunges whether a needle is coming out or a Q-Tip for an ear cleaning. Many don’t even react to the actual needle stick.
While the obvious ear veins beckon, taking blood here is not a good idea: it hurts, bruising a lot, plus only a little blood can be taken. Instead, most vets use the veins on the side of the back leg (saphenous), the neck (jugular), or the front leg in larger rabbits (cephalic), just as in a dog or cat. The area is swabbed with alcohol to disinfect and part the fur, the vein is held off, and a small needle is quickly inserted. The tests require only a small amount of blood safely taken from a small animal.
What blood tests can tell you: There are two parts to a full blood test. A chemistry screen or “profile” gives levels of key electrolytes and metabolic products, while a CBC (complete blood count) details white and red blood cell numbers and types. A few of the important compounds and some of their main indications are listed below.
BUN (blood urea nitrogen), creatinine: two compounds produced by the body which are filtered by the kidney, and increase in kidney dysfunction like renal failure or urinary obstruction
ALT: an enzyme found only in the liver, which increases in the blood during liver damage
Calcium: rabbits regulate calcium levels by excreting the excess in their urine (potentially causing kidney or bladder stones- most animals excrete calcium in the feces), so higher levels in the blood may mean too much calcium in the diet
Sodium, potassium, chloride: reflect pH, which various diseases can affect, as well as many other body processes
Globulin: antibodies (immunoglobulins) in the blood, which increase in inflammation and dehydration
PCV (packed cell volume) or hematocrit: a measure of the amount of red blood cells in a sample, which decreases in anemia or blood loss and may increase in dehydration
WBC (white blood cell): numbers go up in inflammation, which may or may not be caused by an infection with a bacteria or virus. Different types of white blood cells predominate in different diseases- for example, eosinophils in parasitic and allergic diseases.
A blood test can tell a lot about the inner workings of a rabbit. Depending on the vet, blood tests are recommended at the annual checkup for older rabbits (over four) or twice a year for geriatric rabbits (over six). And any time your bunny is seriously ill, a blood test can help pinpoint the problem.
by Astrid Kruse, DVM