Let’s suppose your dog has a BUN value of 40, which is outside the normal range on the high end. However, 5% of normal dogs will have a lab value of less than 10 and 5% a value greater than 30. This means 90% of normal dogs will have a BUN value anywhere from 10 to 30. Normal values for most labs are 10 to 30. This means 5% of normal patients will fall outside the low end of the normal range and 5% will fall outside the high end.Īs an example, let’s look at the BUN test (blood urea nitrogen), commonly used to determine kidney disease. Approximately 90% of “normal” patients will fall under the bell of the curve. Why? Because normal values are determined using a bell-shaped curve. Additionally, patients can have what appears to be an abnormal lab result, yet be totally healthy. Every lab develops its own set of normal values based on its patient population. The following will help you interpret the results of some of the most commonly performed blood tests.įirst, it’s imperative you understand what “normal” means. When you do, you probably ﬁnd all those numbers and notations more than a little confusing. Most of the time, you don’t see a copy of your animal’s lab results. Are you confused by your animal’s lab results? Here’s a helpful guide to some of the most common blood tests your veterinarian might perform.

Bun blood test normal range