Low Na:K ratio retesting question

[LilF]

One of Blossom's blood values was a low Na:K ratio and I was advised to retest. So I am going thursday. Since this is suspect for Addisons, should I just do the ACTH at the same time I am doing the Na:K test, or wait and see if the result is consistently low? Also the vet said they can do the test in house. The first test was done at IDEXX. I do not mind sending it out even if it costs more if it would be more accurate. Would it be more accurate to send it out? Also shouldn't she have the same lab test it instead of changing things especially if we are just trying to verify its accuracy? I do not like changing variables on something like this that will be used to pursue a diagnosis. Final question is this: Today Blossom is really lethargic. Yesterday I took her for a ride in the car to a place to walk. She walked in a spirited way but she was OVERLY stressed for the 7 minutes in the car it takes to arrive at this place. She was panicked in the car. So would this incident yesterda of stressing her adrenals, make her lethargic today as a result of yesterday? I read with Addisons to keep the stress level low.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Would it be more accurate to send it out?

Thanks for asking this great question Lil! Yes, laboratory results are more accurate!!

shouldn't she have the same lab test it instead of changing things especially if we are just trying to verify its accuracy?

In general, yes. However, it's best to send results out. Especially for electrolytes like Na and K.

So would this incident yesterda of stressing her adrenals, make her lethargic today as a result of yesterday?

It depends (but it shouldn't if she was sufficiently resilient).

 

[LilF]

Dr. Jeff, peace of mind on this answer, on sending the test out. Yes, it is FUNNY, many people say I ask questions they never thought of--it is how my mind works. It just seems "logical" to use apples to apples especially if a diagnosis is going to be made. BTW, the vet also did a repeat "in house" Spec cPL test. Maybe that should have been sent out too. Problem is I did not know he wasn't going to send it out till it was not on the IDEXX results and I called to ask. This is something I don't like about this new vet and maybe should go back to the other one for blood. The other vet does anything I ask him to do. This new vet also takes Blossom in the back so I don't know what he has done and I had to ask if he listened to her heart ,lungs etc.....

 

[Dr. Jeff]

The other vet does anything I ask him to do.

I bet if you ask, the new vet will also be happy to send the tests out (tho external lab tests tend to be more expensive--I guess that in this case you do indeed get what you pay for).

 

[LilF]

I bet if you ask, the new vet will also be happy to send the tests out (tho external lab tests tend to be more expensive--I guess that in this case you do indeed get what you pay for).

Dr. Jeff, I asked the vet to send out the test and the office said I would have to do the entire chem panel. Is it your experience you can just send out to IDEXX a request for one or two repeat blood tests? I can ask another vet who would be willing to do it probably if IDEXX will do one test without doing the chem panel. Do you know please? Thanks

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Do you know please?

Sure, yes. You can request the individual tests but it may cost as much (or more) as doing a whole profile!

 

[LilF]

Sure, yes. You can request the individual tests but it may cost as much (or more) as doing a whole profile!

Yikes, yes, now they are saying to do the whole panel.... This is crazy because if I just want to keep tabs on a certain factor lets say monthly, it will cost a few hundred dollars. Maybe I should have them run the test in house AND send the sample to IDEXX having to run the entire chem panel just to see how the test results compare. Not sure they would do that though but it would lend greater assurance of the accuracy of the in house tests in the future. Thanks for getting back to me.

 

[LilF]

Dr. Jeff, you really steered me correctly with my question about getting Blossom's Low Na:K ratio retested again with IDEXX versus an in house testing the vet was going to do. It was my hunch that in house may yield uncomparable results especially if it was going to steer a course of action. I am SO GLAD I made the decision with your stamp of approval to get it redone at IDEXX even though I did have to purchase the entire chem panel. I talked to Dr. Judy today and she echoed this saying she has personally gotten radically different results with an in house machine on some blood testing. This is good to know. I was going to ask the vet office to test part of the blood in house and send the rest to IDEXX but since I am new there I did not want to rock the boat too much and have anyone get defensive. But I ran it by Dr. Judy and she said she has done this experiment. I was so happy I made the right decision but that I even questioned the possibility that in house testing may not be good scientific method--i.e. changing variables. The decisions we make for our dogs can be tedious. I wish I did not have to second guess and just leave it to the vets but intuition is a wonderful gift. I had the intuition to question when it was not logical. I was glad you two vets validated my hunch. Will see what the tests show tomorrow. My "other" local vet told me to ask them to do a cortisol test too so I asked for that one too. Also the Spec cPL was retested mid June in house so I just had them add that one also to send to IDEXX today.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Great work Lil!

intuition is a wonderful gift

Aint it tho! ?

Intuitive Interspecies Communication is even now a growing field of scholarly study:

Multispecies Methods Research Symposium: Intuitive Interspecies Communication (IIC) 2023 - Intuitive Interspecies Communication ~ Transformative Sustainability Education | University of Saskatchewan

researchers.usask.ca

The conference portal with all the incredible resources is still available.