Understanding Your Dog's Bloodwork: What the Numbers Mean

Your vet runs bloodwork and hands you a sheet of numbers with cryptic abbreviations. Most owners nod, pay the bill, and leave without understanding what any of it means. That is a missed opportunity, because those numbers tell a detailed story about how your dog is aging.

CBC: the complete blood count

The CBC measures red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit (HCT), and hemoglobin (HGB) tell you about oxygen-carrying capacity and hydration. Low values can indicate anemia, chronic disease, or internal bleeding. High values often indicate dehydration.

White blood cell count (WBC) reflects immune system activity. Elevated WBC suggests infection or inflammation. Persistently elevated WBC across multiple visits is a flag worth investigating further. Platelet count matters for clotting ability. Sudden drops in platelets can indicate immune-mediated disease or tick-borne illness.

Chemistry panel: organ function

ALP (alkaline phosphatase) and ALT (alanine aminotransferase) are liver markers. Mild elevations are common and often benign, especially ALP in older dogs. But persistent elevation or upward trends across visits warrant follow-up. ALP above 2x the upper reference limit combined with other symptoms (increased thirst, weight changes, coat changes) can indicate Cushing's disease.

BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and creatinine measure kidney function. Both should stay within reference ranges. Rising creatinine across visits, even within the normal range, is an early signal of kidney decline. SDMA is a newer, more sensitive kidney marker that catches kidney disease earlier than creatinine alone.

Glucose reflects metabolic health. Persistent fasting glucose above 120 mg/dL in dogs warrants diabetes screening.

Thyroid panel

Total T4 is the standard screening test, but it misses early hypothyroidism. A full thyroid panel including free T4 and TSH gives a more complete picture. Hypothyroidism is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in dogs because symptoms (weight gain, lethargy, coat changes) are often attributed to aging.

What your vet might not tell you

Individual values matter, but trends matter more. A single ALP of 200 could be nothing. But ALP rising from 150 to 200 to 250 across three visits over 18 months tells a clear story. Most standard vet visits only look at the current snapshot. Cross-visit trend analysis is where the real insights are.

Cogua reads your dog's bloodwork, tracks trends across multiple visits, and tells you exactly what the numbers mean for your specific dog. Upload your vet records and get a biological age score built from real data.