Insulin, Fasting
The fasting insulin test measures insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar, to help vets look into low blood sugar and insulin problems in dogs and cats.
- Sample
- Serum & EDTA
- Quantity
- 3 mL
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Insulin level in a fasting blood sample
- Insulin compared with the blood sugar (glucose) taken at the same time
- Insulin that is too high for a low blood sugar (possible insulinoma)
- Insulin that is too low for a high blood sugar (possible diabetes)
Benefits of this test
- Helps the vet look for the cause of repeated low blood sugar.
- Helps the vet decide whether a pancreas tumour is possible and which scans or tests should follow.
- Adds information in animals with high blood sugar when the cause is unclear.
- Needs only a blood sample taken at a planned time.
When your vet may advise it
- A dog collapses, is weak or has seizures (fits) and the blood sugar is found to be low.
- A dog or cat has repeated low blood sugar without a clear cause.
- A dog or cat has high blood sugar and the vet wants to know how much insulin the body still makes.
- A vet suspects a pancreas tumour and is planning scans or other tests.
- An overweight animal has high blood sugar and the vet suspects the body is not responding well to insulin.
About this test
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, a gland near the stomach. It helps sugar (glucose) move from the blood into the body's cells. This test measures insulin in a blood sample taken after the animal has fasted, so that a recent meal does not push the level up.
The insulin value is hard to read alone, so vets compare it with the blood sugar taken at the same time. A normal or high insulin level when the blood sugar is low may point to an insulin-making tumour of the pancreas (insulinoma), which is seen mainly in dogs. In some animals with high blood sugar, the test may help the vet judge how much insulin the body still makes.
Diabetes is usually found with blood and urine sugar tests, so this test is kept for selected cases. Fasting is part of the test, so ask your vet how to do it safely. Reporting time is confirmed when you book.
How to prepare
Fasting is needed, so follow your vet's advice on how many hours; water is usually allowed. Never start a fast on your own for a puppy, kitten, small, old or weak animal, one that has had fits or collapse, or one that gets insulin injections, because low blood sugar can be dangerous. Free sample collection is available anywhere in Bhopal, and from outside Bhopal the sample can be sent by courier, bus parcel or through your local vet.
Reading the result
The insulin value only makes sense next to the blood sugar taken at the same time. Your registered veterinarian reads both with the animal's signs and history and decides what further tests may be needed.
Questions about Insulin, Fasting
Why must my pet fast for the insulin test?
Is the insulin test the test for diabetes?
Can I give food or water before the test?
What is an insulinoma?
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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Insulin, Fasting: 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
Read more
Insulin Tests in Dogs and Cats: When a Vet Measures It
An insulin test measures the hormone that moves sugar from the blood into the cells. A vet may ask for it in a dog or cat with unexplained weakness or low blood sugar, and reads it with a sugar result.
18 Oct 2026