Roadrunner Animal Hospital

Bloodwork Protocols

*ANNUAL EXAMS are required for ALL pets to continue their prescription refill status for all prescriptions, including food.*

• PHENOBARBITAL/DIGOXIN/KBR*/ENALAPRIL/ETC.

  Pets on anticonvulsants, behavioral, or heart medications are required to have an annual exam and blood testing to check total organ function. Periodic Phenobarbital, KBR, or Digoxin levels are monitored in order to make sure the pet’s medication is within a therapeutic range.

  Post-pill Bloodwork:

  Phenobarbital- bloodwork should be done 10 to 12 hours post-pill.
  Digoxin- bloodwork should be done 6 to 8 hours post-pill.

• NSAIDs**

  Pets on chronic (more than four weeks) NSAID therapy are required to have an exam and their total organ function checked biannually or annually, or as otherwise indicated by the pet’s veterinarian.
  We are also required to give a NSAID handout for ALL NSAID prescriptions sent home. This should be given one time only and needs to have the NSAID stamp on it initialed by both the client and technician. A copy should be made and given to the client and the original kept on the inside left of the chart.
  For pets over 6 years of age that will be placed on long term NSAID treatment, blood testing must be done before scripting medication and done again in 10 to 14 days, then biannually or annually.

• SOLOXINE/SYNTHROID/LEVOTHYROXINE

  Hypothyroidism in dogs and hyperthyroidism in cats are diseases that usually require long term maintenance drug therapy. Pets need initial testing for diagnosis, and then retesting in 4 to 6 weeks (in dogs) and 2 weeks (in cats) after the medication has begun. We require an annual examination and a recheck of the thyroid levels. We also recommend a recheck of organ functions – particularly in feline patients.

  Post-pill Bloodwork:

  Bloodwork should be done 4 to 6 hours post-pill for all thyroid medications.

• HEARTWORM TESTING

  We highly recommend heartworm testing every 2 years for heartworm preventative to be dispensed.