Blood Lactate
A blood lactate test measures lactate, a substance that builds up when body tissues do not get enough oxygen. It can help a vet judge how serious shock, severe infection or a sudden belly crisis is in dogs, cats, cows and buffaloes.
- Sample
- Fluoride plasma or heparinised blood
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- The level of lactate, a by-product made when tissues are short of oxygen
- A sign of poor blood flow or oxygen supply, as in shock or severe infection
- The change between repeat samples, which can show whether the animal is improving
Often discussed at these ages:Foal
When your vet may advise it
- A collapsed animal, or one with pale gums, cold legs and a fast, weak pulse
- A swollen, painful belly, such as a suspected twisted stomach in a dog or a cow
- Severe infection, heavy bleeding or heatstroke
- Repeat checks during emergency care to follow progress
About this test
Body cells need oxygen to make energy. When blood flow or oxygen supply falls, as in shock, severe infection (sepsis), heavy blood loss or a twisted stomach, cells switch to a back-up process that makes lactate, and the blood level rises. Vets commonly use lactate to judge how unwell an animal is and whether it improves over repeat checks. Hard exercise, struggling during sampling, fits and some poisons can also raise it. Lactate changes fast once blood leaves the body, so the sample must reach the lab quickly in the right tube. A registered veterinarian interprets the level only alongside the examination and the animal's history.
How to prepare
Lactate changes quickly after collection, so call the lab before the sample is taken to agree on the tube and how fast it must arrive. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Questions about Blood Lactate
What does high lactate mean in a sick dog?
Can lactate be tested in cows and buffaloes?
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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Blood Lactate: 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