Hello Gentle Care clients. Now that we are all settled in and getting going for 2018, we were thinking about some of our goals as veterinarians for this year. One of those goals is educating clients on the importance of blood work for senior pets. Pets 7 years or older are considered senior pets. We believe baseline bloodwork is important at all ages but especially for senior pets.
Baseline bloodwork or wellness testing is a blood work panel to detect early disease in pets that otherwise appear healthy. If disease can be detected early before a pet begins to shows signs steps can be taken to correct or manage the problem before permanent damage has been done by the disease. Senior pets have a greater chance of developing diseases as the organs age so catching it early is beneficial.
Our baseline bloodwork includes a CBC, Chemistry profile and thyroid testing. The CBC gives information about the different white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. We use this test to gauge inflammation, infection, the presence of anemia or the lack of platelets in the body. The chemistry profile gives information about the organs in the body that can help diagnose diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, or electrolyte abnormalities. The thyroid test gives information about how well the thyroid gland is functioning and the thyroid hormone level. The most common thyroid disease in dogs is hypothyroidism and this happens when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Low thyroid hormone can result in poor skin/coat conditions, weight gain, and heat seeking behaviors. The most common thyroid disease for cats is hyperthyroidism which occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. This condition puts a strain on the heart, liver and kidneys. Cats with this condition show signs of unexplained weight loss, increased appetite, restlessness, increased activity, thirst and urination. Vomiting and diarrhea may present also.
Wellness testing is a simple and effective way of monitoring your pet’s health. We want nothing more than to make sure your pet is healthy, active and a part of your family for as long as possible.
If we are seeing your pet for a routine exam, we can draw blood at that time. We call with results in 1-2 business days. The results are also loaded into the patient’s medical record. If we are seeing a patient for signs of illness and need results sooner we have in-clinic lab testing. Thank you for choosing Gentle Care Animal Hospital for your pet’s care. Please contact our clinic with any questions you might have about blood testing or any other concern for your pet. 417-725-2386