An annual wellness exam allows us to evaluate your pet’s overall health and detect problems before they turn in to serious illnesses. Because animals can’t tell us how they feel, we must rely on a thorough physical examination and direct observation to determine if your pet is truly healthy.
As part of wellness examinations, routine blood testing, urinalysis, and other tests are generally recommended for all pets to help establish baseline values used for comparison later in your pet’s life. Based on the results of these tests, the physical exam, and pet age, we may recommend further diagnostic tests, such as X-rays of the chest and abdomen. This is what we call our Early Detection Program. The veterinarian evaluates your pet’s heart and lungs, reproductive system, skin, and feels your pet’s abdomen to detect enlarged organs or masses. If any abnormalities are found, we may recommend additional tests to diagnose or confirm a health problem. Your pet may also receive immunizations, as vaccines are one of the best tools of preventive medicine.
EARLY DETECTION PROGRAM
Early detection is not one test, a series of tests, or a single visit—it is a new way of caring for your pet. Medical advancements enable us to diagnose potential pet diseases before they become a serious problem. Some of these diseases include:
- Liver disease
- Arthritis
- Heart disease
- Intestinal parasites
Veterinarians depend on laboratory test results to help them understand the status of your pet’s health. When your pet is sick, the results of laboratory tests can help the veterinarian confirm the presence of some illnesses and rule out others. Your veterinarian may also run tests during the course of your pet’s illness to track the course of the disease and the results of treatment.
When your pet is healthy, we may want to run certain laboratory tests to establish your pet’s “baseline values.” Usually, these tests include a complete blood count (CBC), a blood-chemistry panel, and a urinalysis. Testing for intestinal parasites is done initially and twice annually in most healthy pets.
In addition, your pet will be tested at least annually for heartworm disease.
The Heartworm Society website is another great resource for information about heartworms.
When your pet is sick, we can more easily determine if your pet’s laboratory test values are abnormal by comparing the baseline values to the current values. If your pet is on a chronic medication, it is extremely important to recheck at appropriate intervals and to have periodic blood evaluations on those animals receiving chronic long-term medications, such as NSAIDS, heart drugs, thyroid medications, and seizure medications.
With current medical testing and technology, you can protect your pets like never before. By following our wellness recommendations according to the age of your pet, many diseases can be caught early. Early Detection can make all the difference, adding years and quality to your pet’s life.
If detected early, 75% of common diseases in dogs and 63% of common diseases in cats can be prevented by dietary modifications alone over a one-year period. For example:
- Kidney disease is a major cause of illness and death in dogs and cats, but symptoms do not usually appear until 2/3 of the kidney function has been lost. If caught early, your pet could live happily with this condition for many years.
- Hyperthyroidism is diagnosed in 1 in 10 cats over 9 years old. A common cause of death just 20 years ago, now it is treated easily—the earlier, the better.
- A liver problem detected at an early stage of the disease can be administered proper treatment, greatly enhancing the chance of your pet’s recovery.
- Early detection of diabetes is extremely important—an early therapy regime can be more effective and easier on the pet and prevent damage to other organs.