Free Thyroid Profile (FT3, FT4 & TSH)
The Free Thyroid Profile (FT3, FT4 and TSH) is a blood test that measures the free, active thyroid hormones and TSH in dogs and cats. Vets may choose it when total hormone values are unclear.
- Sample
- Serum (plain)
- Quantity
- 5 mL
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Free T3 (FT3), the unattached, active form of T3
- Free T4 (FT4), the unattached, active form of T4
- TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) level
- The pattern of the three values taken together
Benefits of this test
- Looks at the hormone the body can actually use, not the part locked to proteins.
- Can give a clearer answer when total T4 is borderline or does not fit the signs.
- May help when illness or medicines could be changing total hormone values.
- Gives FT3, FT4 and TSH from one serum sample.
- Helps the vet choose the next step, such as repeat testing or other tests.
When your vet may advise it
- A dog has signs of an under-active thyroid, but a total T4 result was borderline.
- An older cat has signs of an over-active thyroid, such as weight loss with a good appetite, but earlier results look normal.
- A pet is unwell with another illness and the vet wants to check the thyroid with extra care.
- A pet takes medicines that may change total thyroid values.
- A first thyroid profile was unclear and the vet wants a more detailed look.
- A pet on thyroid treatment needs a follow-up, as the vet advises.
About this test
Hormones are chemical messengers made by glands. Most thyroid hormone in the blood is attached to proteins and cannot be used by the body. Only a small part floats free, and that free part does the work. This profile measures free T3 (FT3) and free T4 (FT4), along with TSH. TSH is the hormone from the pituitary gland, a small gland under the brain, that tells the thyroid how much to make.
Blood is drawn into a plain tube, and the lab measures the values in the serum, the clear liquid part of blood. Free values are less affected by the amount of protein in the blood than total values. They can also be less affected by some illnesses and medicines.
Vets may choose it when a total T4 result does not match the signs, or when illness or medicines may be confusing the total values. It is used in dogs, where an under-active thyroid is the usual worry, and in cats, where an over-active thyroid is more common.
How to prepare
Follow your vet's advice about fasting, tell the vet which medicines your pet takes, and do not stop any medicine on your own. The lab asks for about 5 mL of serum; sample collection is free anywhere in Bhopal, and reporting time is confirmed when you book. Outside Bhopal, a local vet or clinic can send the serum to our lab by courier or bus parcel, and we coordinate with them by phone or WhatsApp.
Reading the result
The vet looks at FT3, FT4 and TSH together and compares them with your pet's signs, because one value alone rarely settles the question. A registered veterinarian may repeat the test or add others before deciding what to do.
Questions about Free Thyroid Profile (FT3, FT4 & TSH)
What are free T3 and free T4?
When would my vet choose the free profile instead of the total profile?
Do I stop my pet's thyroid tablets before this test?
Can a sick pet have this 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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Free Thyroid Profile (FT3, FT4 & TSH): 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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Thyroid Profile: How T3, T4 and TSH Fit Together
A thyroid profile measures T4 and T3, the thyroid hormones, and TSH, the pituitary signal that drives them. Read together, the three help a vet see whether a dog's or cat's thyroid is too slow, too fast or normal.
18 Oct 2026