How effective are lab tests in cats?

I think that they're very effective. Lab tests give us answers to many of our questions. Even if everything is, quote-unquote, normal, then that means it rules out things. Normal can be good in certain situations. We think about normal being good. But sometimes we think that that was a wasted test, but it's not because we have ruled out certain things, even if the numbers and values come back normal. Stress can cause an elevation in blood sugar, which is why we wouldn't get too excited about it if we saw that in a stressed pet.

Lab tests in cats are very effective, particularly because cats don't often show obvious signs of illness. This is why routine lab work is so crucial for early disease detection.

Lab tests in cats are pretty darn effective. If there is a disease there that they can catch, it's going to show up. So just like a human, if we're testing for thyroid disease and we test that thyroid number, if it's off, we know it. If they have diabetes, we're going to know it. If they have kidney failure, we're going to see those markers.