Bicarbonate (Total CO2)
A bicarbonate (total CO2) test measures the body's main buffer against acid in the blood. With electrolytes, it helps a vet judge acid balance in dehydration, vomiting, diarrhoea and kidney problems.
- Sample
- Serum (plain)
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Total CO2, which mostly reflects bicarbonate in the blood
- Whether the blood may be leaning too acid or too alkaline
- Changes linked to fluid loss, kidney function and stomach problems
When your vet may advise it
- Severe diarrhoea, especially in young calves or puppies
- Repeated vomiting in a dog or cat
- A cow with a suspected displaced or twisted fourth stomach (abomasum)
- Kidney disease or diabetes, with electrolytes and other blood tests
About this test
Bicarbonate acts like a sponge that soaks up extra acid and keeps the blood close to its normal balance. Total CO2 is the lab measure that mostly reflects bicarbonate. A low level may suggest too much acid, as can happen with diarrhoea in calves and pups, kidney failure or uncontrolled diabetes. A high level may suggest the blood has become too alkaline, for example after repeated vomiting in dogs or a displaced fourth stomach in cows. The tube should be well filled and kept closed, as gas escapes from the sample. A registered veterinarian reads it together with sodium, potassium, chloride and the animal's signs and history.
How to prepare
Fill the tube well and keep it tightly closed, because carbon dioxide escapes from a half-filled or open tube and can make the result read low. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Questions about Bicarbonate (Total CO2)
What does low bicarbonate mean in a calf with diarrhoea?
Is total CO2 the same as a blood gas test?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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Bicarbonate (Total CO2): Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas