Prothrombin Time (PT)
Prothrombin Time (PT) measures how many seconds plasma takes to clot, which shows how well some of the body's clotting proteins are working. It is used in dogs and cats with bleeding signs or before surgery.
- Sample
- Sodium citrate plasma
- Quantity
- 2 mL
- Report
- Same day to 24 hours
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Time in seconds for plasma to clot after the clotting trigger is added
- Activity of clotting factors VII, X, V and II (prothrombin)
- Fibrinogen, a protein the clot is built from
- Vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, which are made in the liver
Benefits of this test
- Helps find the cause when an animal has bleeding or bruising for no clear reason.
- Can show clotting problems linked to liver disease or vitamin K shortage.
- Helps check clotting before surgery or a biopsy.
- Gives a fuller picture when read with APTT and a platelet count.
- Can be repeated to follow clotting over time.
When your vet may advise it
- Nose bleeds, blood in urine or stool, or bleeding that does not stop.
- Bruises or small red spots under the skin without a clear cause.
- A dog or cat that may have eaten rat poison.
- Liver disease, where clotting proteins may be low.
- Before surgery or a biopsy (a small tissue sample) in an animal at risk of bleeding.
- Sudden weakness with pale gums and signs of bleeding.
About this test
Prothrombin Time, or PT, is a clotting test. When a blood vessel is hurt, proteins in the plasma (the liquid part of blood) work in steps to form a clot. These proteins are called clotting factors. PT checks one group of these steps. It measures how many seconds the plasma takes to clot after the lab adds a clotting trigger.
The blood is collected into a tube with sodium citrate, which stops it from clotting until it is tested. The tube must be filled to the marked line. The plasma is then separated and tested. A longer clotting time than expected may be seen when clotting factors are low, for example in some liver diseases, with vitamin K shortage or after eating some rat poisons.
PT is often done together with APTT, another clotting test, and a platelet count, to get a fuller picture of how the blood clots. This test is done for dogs and cats. Your vet reads the result with the animal's signs.
How to prepare
Fasting is often not needed, but follow your vet's advice. Your vet should draw the blood into a sodium citrate tube filled to the marked line, and call or WhatsApp the lab first, because the plasma must reach the lab quickly. Free sample collection is available from any location in Bhopal.
Reading the result
The report gives the clotting time in seconds. A longer time may indicate a clotting-factor problem, and a registered veterinarian reads it with the animal's signs and other tests, such as APTT and platelet count, before deciding on treatment or further tests.
Questions about PT
What does a long PT mean?
My dog may have eaten rat poison. Should I wait for this test?
Why is a special tube needed for PT?
How soon is the PT report 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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PT: 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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