Health Check Profile (13+4)
A practical veterinary chemistry panel for routine screening and follow-up, combining 13 measured analytes with 4 calculated indicators to support protein balance, liver, kidney, pancreas, glucose, lipid, muscle, and mineral assessment.
High-value clinical uses
Useful for routine health checks, baseline internal medicine screening, pre-anesthetic evaluation, follow-up after treatment, and quick first-line assessment of liver, kidney, metabolic, and pancreatic patterns.
Core coverage
Protein profile, hepatocellular injury, cholestatic response, bilirubin burden, renal markers, muscle support, pancreatic support, glucose, cholesterol, and calcium-phosphorus balance.
Panel advantage
Broad enough for daily screening, but focused enough to remain cost-effective and easy to interpret in wellness and general practice settings.
What this panel is for
The Health Check Profile (13+4) is designed as a broad screening chemistry profile for veterinary patients when a clinician needs more than a minimal liver-kidney check but does not require a full electrolyte or bile-acid-expanded panel. It is especially useful for annual or periodic health evaluation, first-line assessment of nonspecific illness, monitoring hospitalized or chronic patients, and establishing a baseline before anesthesia or long-term medication. In practical use, it helps detect patterns involving dehydration, protein imbalance, hepatocellular injury, cholestatic change, azotemia, pancreatic involvement, dysglycemia, hyperlipidemia, mineral imbalance, and muscle injury.
Measured test items (13)
Calculation items (4)
*Calculated indicators strengthen screening interpretation, but they should always be read together with the source analytes and the clinical picture.
Sample, workflow, and handling
Specimen
Use serum or lithium heparin plasma according to validated analyzer workflow and local laboratory procedure.
Platform family
Built in the same product style as the Celercare V / Pointcare V chemistry analyzer panel family.
Handling notes
Prompt separation and correct storage improve reliability, especially for glucose, bilirubin, and enzyme-based measurements.
Interpretive caution
Results should be reviewed for hemolysis, lipemia, and icterus, because sample interference can materially affect chemistry interpretation.
- Glucose: delayed separation from cells can produce falsely lower values.
- Bilirubin: protect samples from strong light to reduce degradation risk.
- CK: recent restraint, intramuscular injections, surgery, trauma, or difficult venipuncture can increase CK independently of primary disease.
Clinical interpretation by analyte group
Protein profile
TP, ALB, GLO, and ALB/GLO help screen hydration, protein loss, inflammatory protein shifts, and hepatic synthetic support. High TP with high albumin usually fits hemoconcentration. Low albumin raises concern for protein loss, reduced production, or dilution. High globulin suggests chronic inflammation, immune stimulation, or gammopathy.
Liver and bilirubin assessment
ALT is a hepatocellular injury marker, while ALP helps support cholestatic or biliary patterns. TBIL reflects bilirubin burden and should be interpreted in the context of hemolysis, hepatic handling, and cholestasis.
Renal and hydration assessment
CRE, BUN, and BUN/CRE support azotemia screening and prerenal-versus-disproportion pattern recognition. Creatinine is the stronger filtration marker, while urea is more vulnerable to dietary, bleeding, and catabolic influences.
Pancreatic and metabolic support
AMY, GLU, and CHOL broaden the panel beyond simple organ screening. Amylase can support pancreatic suspicion but is not specific on its own. Glucose helps identify dysglycemia and critical illness. Cholesterol adds value in cholestatic, endocrine, and nephrotic patterns.
Muscle contribution
CK is a key support marker for skeletal muscle injury. If CK is increased, some enzyme abnormalities or clinical signs may be partly muscular rather than hepatic in origin.
Mineral balance
Ca, P, and Ca×P help evaluate renal compromise, mineral and endocrine disorders, tissue mineralization risk, and selected nutritional or neoplastic conditions.
Quick high / low interpretation guide
| Analyte | Main intent of use | When high may suggest | When low may suggest / key notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TP | Hydration and protein screening | Dehydration, hyperglobulinemia | Protein loss, hemorrhage, dilution; interpret with ALB and GLO |
| ALB | Oncotic support, hepatic synthesis, loss | Usually dehydration | Protein loss, reduced synthesis, dilution |
| GLO* | Inflammatory and immune protein estimate | Inflammation, chronic antigenic stimulation, gammopathy | Protein loss or low globulin states |
| ALT | Hepatocellular leakage/injury | Hepatocellular injury | Usually not clinically useful when low |
| ALP | Cholestatic response | Cholestasis, biliary disease, steroid/drug induction in some species | Low values usually not significant |
| TBIL | Bilirubin burden | Cholestasis, hemolysis, impaired hepatic handling | Protect sample from light |
| CRE | Filtration marker | Decreased GFR, renal/postrenal causes | May be lower with low muscle mass |
| BUN | Renal and protein metabolism screening | Prerenal azotemia, renal disease, GI bleeding, catabolism | Low protein intake, hepatic dysfunction, dilution |
| CK | Muscle injury support | Trauma, myopathy, seizures, restraint/injection artifact, rhabdomyolysis | Low values rarely useful |
| AMY | Pancreatic support marker | Pancreatic disease, renal retention, GI disease | Low values rarely useful |
| GLU | Metabolic and emergency screening | Stress hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus, endocrine disease | Sepsis, insulin excess, severe hepatic dysfunction, delayed sample separation |
| CHOL | Lipid and cholestatic screening | Cholestasis, endocrine disease, nephrotic states | Malabsorption, severe hepatic dysfunction, shunting |
| Ca | Mineral balance | Hypercalcemia, renal or endocrine disease, neoplasia | Hypoalbuminemia, true hypocalcemia, critical illness |
| P | Renal/mineral screening | Reduced excretion, growth, cell breakdown, vitamin D issues | Losses, poor intake, endocrine causes |
| ALB/GLO* | Protein pattern balance | Relative globulin depletion | Relative globulin excess or albumin loss |
| BUN/CRE* | Prerenal vs disproportion clues | BUN disproportionately high in dehydration, GI bleeding, or catabolism | Lower ratio may fit low urea production or relatively higher creatinine |
| Ca×P* | Mineralization risk screen | Rising product increases concern for soft tissue mineralization risk | Context-dependent, not a stand-alone diagnosis |
Pattern-based diagnostic scenarios
1) Dehydration / hemoconcentration
TP and albumin high-normal or increased, BUN may rise more than creatinine, and the overall pattern fits reduced plasma water rather than primary protein overproduction.
2) Hepatocellular injury
ALT increased, with or without bilirubin changes. This supports hepatocyte injury or leakage, but not necessarily hepatic failure.
3) Cholestatic / biliary pattern
ALP increased with bilirubin and often cholesterol elevation. This raises suspicion for cholestasis or biliary tract involvement.
4) Azotemia / renal compromise
Creatinine and BUN increase together; phosphorus may also be increased. Pair with urine specific gravity and urinalysis to improve classification.
5) Prerenal disproportion
BUN rises more than creatinine, supporting dehydration, GI bleeding, or increased protein catabolism rather than a pure filtration deficit.
6) Pancreatic suspicion
Amylase increased with vomiting, abdominal pain, or anorexia can support pancreatitis suspicion, but enzyme elevation alone is not diagnostic.
7) Muscle injury contribution
CK elevation suggests that trauma, exertion, seizures, restraint, injections, or myopathy may be contributing to the biochemical picture.
8) Mineralization concern
When calcium and phosphorus are both high, the Ca×P product rises and soft tissue mineralization risk becomes more important, especially in renal disease or vitamin D-related disorders.
9) Protein-loss / inflammatory shift
Low albumin with relatively increased globulin lowers the ALB/GLO relationship and raises concern for chronic inflammation, protein loss, or combined systemic disease.
10) Dysglycemia / metabolic disease
Hyperglycemia with compatible signs can support diabetes mellitus or stress response, while hypoglycemia should immediately prompt consideration of sepsis, insulin excess, or severe hepatic dysfunction.
Reference intervals (shared platform guideline values for overlapping analytes)
These values are presented as shared platform-style guideline intervals for overlapping analytes. Each laboratory should validate or establish its own reference intervals for its species, population, and sample type.
| Analyte | Dog | Cat |
|---|---|---|
| TP | 5.2–8.2 g/dL | 5.4–8.9 g/dL |
| ALB | 2.2–4.4 g/dL | 2.2–4.5 g/dL |
| ALT | 10–140 U/L | 8.2–123 U/L |
| ALP | 20–150 U/L | 10–90 U/L |
| TBIL | 0.1–0.9 mg/dL | 0.1–0.9 mg/dL |
| CRE | 0.3–1.7 mg/dL | 0.3–2.5 mg/dL |
| BUN | 7–32 mg/dL | 10–43 mg/dL |
| CK | Use local validated interval | Use local validated interval |
| AMY | 200–1800 U/L | 200–1800 U/L |
| GLU | 70–143 mg/dL | 74–159 mg/dL |
| CHOL | 110–320 mg/dL | 65–225 mg/dL |
| Ca | 7.9–11.8 mg/dL | 7.8–11.8 mg/dL |
| P | 2.5–6.8 mg/dL | 3.1–8.5 mg/dL |
Interference and reporting notes
Sample quality
Hemolysis, lipemia, and icterus can materially alter chemistry results, especially enzymes, bilirubin, and photometric assays.
Unexpected CK
Marked CK elevation should always be checked against recent injections, muscle trauma, restraint, seizures, or exertion before concluding there is a primary myopathy.
Unexpected glucose
A falsely low glucose result becomes more likely if sample separation was delayed or if the patient was not handled according to recommended pre-analytical procedure.
Out-of-range results
Very high or very low values should be confirmed with approved repeat testing, alternate methodology, or referral laboratory support when clinically necessary.
Why this profile is valuable
This profile offers a strong middle ground between a narrow organ-focused panel and a large comprehensive panel. It captures the abnormalities most often needed in first-line practice: protein changes, liver injury, cholestatic response, bilirubin burden, renal filtration clues, glucose and cholesterol screening, pancreatic support, muscle contribution, and calcium-phosphorus balance. That makes it especially useful for routine practice, pre-anesthetic screening, admission screening, and longitudinal monitoring.
References
Primary product / IFU references
- Tianjin MNCHIP Technologies Co., Ltd. Related Celercare V / Pointcare V chemistry analyzer IFU. Used for shared platform-style workflow, sample-type framing, and overlapping guideline reference intervals where applicable.