Keep Your Pet Healthy in the New Year with Preventative Healthcare

Routine annual bloodwork: As pet owners, we all want to do anything we can to keep our pets happy and healthy for as long as possible. Annual wellness bloodwork is one tool we can use to help us detect abnormalities before we even notice clinical signs at home or on physical examination. Depending on your pet's age and medical history, we can tailor an early detection program for you and your pet. Two of our most common blood profiles are:

Adult wellness blood profile—This profile is recommended for our healthy pets (canine and feline) between the ages of 1 and 6 years old. It includes:

CBC (complete blood count) to evaluate white blood cells and red blood cells. It can detect anemia, inflammation, and infection.

--Chemistry panel which includes albumin, alkaline phosphatase, ALT, BUN, creatinine, globulin, glucose, potassium, and total protein. These levels help us evaluate the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

--Heartworm test

2. Senior wellness blood profile and urinalysis—This profile is recommended for our pets over 7 years old. It includes:

--CBC (complete blood count) to evaluate white blood cells and red blood cells. It can detect anemia, inflammation, and infection.

--Chemistry panel which includes albumin, alkaline phosphatase, ALT, AST, direct and indirect bilirubin, total bilirubin, BUN, calcium, cholesterol, creatinine, globulin, glucose, phosphorus, total protein, GGT, CK, amylase and lipase. These levels help us evaluate the liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

--Electrolytes including sodium, potassium, and chloride. These are important in monitoring the water balance and cellular health of the body. Abnormalities in electrolytes can be very serious to your pet's health.

--Thyroid concentration (T4) helps us to diagnose problems with the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) is common in dogs and hyperthyroidism (high thyroid hormone) is common in older cats.

--Urinalysis helps us to assess the health and function of the urinary system, especially the kidneys. This test in combination with the blood profile gives us a better overall picture of your pet's health.