Creatinine, Serum
A serum creatinine test measures a waste product from muscle that the kidneys filter out. A high level may show that the kidneys are not clearing waste well in dogs, cats, cows and buffaloes.
- Sample
- Serum (plain)
- Quantity
- 2 mL
- Report
- Same day to 24 hours
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Creatinine level in serum
- How well the kidneys are filtering waste out of the blood
- A rise that can follow dehydration, kidney disease or blocked urine flow
- The effect of muscle size, as muscular animals tend to run higher and thin animals lower
Benefits of this test
- Gives one focused number for how well the kidneys are filtering.
- Is usually less affected by diet than urea, so it is a steadier kidney marker.
- Helps your vet check a pet that is vomiting, not eating or drinking much more than usual.
- Can be repeated to follow kidney disease over time.
- Is useful before surgery or anaesthesia to check that the kidneys are coping.
When your vet may advise it
- A dog or cat that drinks and passes urine much more than usual.
- A pet that is vomiting, off its food or losing weight, especially an older one.
- A male dog or cat that is straining to pass urine or passing very little.
- A cow, buffalo or calf with severe diarrhoea or dehydration.
- After a suspected poisoning, or before surgery or anaesthesia.
- Regular checks for an animal with known kidney disease.
About this test
Creatinine is a waste product made when muscles work. It travels in the blood to the kidneys, which filter it out into the urine. If the kidneys are not working well, creatinine builds up in the blood. A serum creatinine test measures how much of it is there.
The lab separates the serum, which is the clear part of clotted blood, and mixes it with chemicals that react with creatinine. An instrument reads the reaction and gives the value. This is a single test, while a Kidney Function Test groups creatinine with other values such as urea.
Vets use it to check the kidneys in sick animals, to follow known kidney disease and before surgery or anaesthesia. Creatinine also depends on muscle size and hydration. So the value has to be read with the whole picture.
How to prepare
Give water as usual unless your vet says otherwise. For dogs and cats, many vets ask for 8 to 12 hours without food before sampling, but follow your vet's advice. Anywhere in Bhopal, we collect the sample free of charge, and from other places your vet can send it to us by courier or bus parcel.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads creatinine together with your animal's signs and history, hydration, muscle condition and other tests such as urea and urine. A high value may mean the kidneys are under strain, but a thin animal can show a normal value even when the kidneys are weak.
Questions about Creatinine, Serum
What is a normal creatinine level for my dog or cat?
Can creatinine be normal when the kidneys are weak?
What is the difference between creatinine and a KFT?
Does creatinine matter 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. Same day to 24 hours. 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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Creatinine, Serum: 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
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