HbA1c
HbA1c is a blood test that shows average blood sugar over the past few months. It measures the sugar attached to haemoglobin in red blood cells, and it is offered for dogs and cats.
- Sample
- Whole blood (EDTA)
- Quantity
- 2 mL
- Report
- Same day to 24 hours
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- HbA1c - the part of haemoglobin that has sugar attached
- Average blood sugar over the past few months
- Long-term sugar control, not a single reading
- Red blood cell effects, since anaemia or blood loss can change the value
Benefits of this test
- Shows blood sugar control over a longer time than a single glucose test.
- A short stress-related rise in sugar has little effect on the result.
- Helps your vet judge whether a diabetic pet's care plan is working.
- One blood sample is enough, with no need for repeated draws through the day.
- Can be repeated after some months to follow the trend.
When your vet may advise it
- A dog or cat already diagnosed with diabetes, to check long-term sugar control.
- A diabetic pet that is still very thirsty, passes a lot of urine or loses weight.
- A pet whose glucose readings jump up and down from one visit to the next.
- A dog or cat with high sugar at the clinic, when the vet wants to know if it has been high for a long time.
- When your vet wants a longer view than glucose or fructosamine gives.
About this test
Haemoglobin is the red pigment inside red blood cells that carries oxygen. When blood sugar stays high, some sugar sticks to the haemoglobin. HbA1c is the part of the haemoglobin that has sugar attached. Red blood cells live for a few months, so HbA1c reflects the average sugar level over that time.
The test needs 2 mL of whole blood in an EDTA tube, which stops the blood from clotting. The lab measures HbA1c on this blood with a laboratory instrument. Fructosamine looks back over only the last one to three weeks, while HbA1c covers a longer time.
Vets use it in dogs and cats with diabetes to see how well sugar has been controlled over a longer time. In animals, HbA1c is used less often than fructosamine and needs careful reading.
How to prepare
No fasting is needed, because HbA1c does not depend on the last meal, but follow your vet's advice. Tell your vet about any recent blood loss, anaemia or blood transfusion, as these can change the result. The blood goes into an EDTA tube, and we collect samples free anywhere in Bhopal or receive them from your vet by courier or bus parcel.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads HbA1c together with your pet's signs and history and its glucose or fructosamine results. Anaemia or recent blood loss can change the value, so your vet looks at the trend over time rather than a single number.
Questions about HbA1c
What is the difference between HbA1c and fructosamine?
Can anaemia or a blood transfusion change HbA1c?
Do I need to fast my pet for an HbA1c test?
When will the HbA1c report be ready?
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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HbA1c: Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
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