The Importance of Routine Blood Testing and Geriatric Evaluations

For any pet under 7 years of age we recommend our "Basic Blood Panel" which includes tests for kidney and liver function, a complete blood cell count (CBC-red cells, white cells, and platelets), total proteins and electrolytes. These tests give us a good overview of your pet's important organ systems. All the tests mentioned can be run on less than 1/2 teaspoon of blood and results are usually available within 1 hour! These tests can easily be done when your pet comes in for his or her yearly exam and vaccinations.

For pets over 7 years of age we recommend a Geriatric Evaluation. In addition to a thorough physical exam this includes a "Geriatric Blood Panel" and a urinalysis to give us more detailed information about how your pet is aging. This also includes chest X-rays to rule out any developing heart or lung problems. The Geriatric Evaluation enables us to diagnose the early stages of many medical conditions that commonly affect older dogs and cats before they become externally apparent and create problems. Just as when people have an annual physical, in most cases the results are normal. Even then it's good to know everything is "all right" and the evaluation provides valuable baseline data on which to compare future results. If a condition is revealed you know it has been discovered as early as possible and treatment can be started.

The Geriatric Evaluation can be scheduled Monday through Friday and requires that your pet spend the day at our hospital. You will have the results of the evaluation when you pick your pet up the same day! The Doctor will personally discuss the findings with you, and advise you of any treatment or diet change needed to help prolong the life and comfort of your pet. You will also receive a written copy of the test results and recommendations to take home. The purpose of these tests is to detect changes in your pet's health in the early stages. Early intervention is always easier for your pet and far less expensive for you.