The Importance of Wellness Bloodwork for Pets

Wellness bloodwork for pets

Often times, our clients will ask, “Is wellness bloodwork for pets really that necessary?” Bloodwork allows us to learn information about your pet’s health which we can only discover from collecting and analyzing a sample of blood. This includes a CBC (complete blood count) and blood chemistry that analyze chemical components in the blood. We will discuss the importance of well pet bloodwork.

Wellness Bloodwork for Pets

Our beloved pets cannot always tell us how they are feeling nor do they show any signs of sickness. Therefore, as a pet owner, you play a key role in keeping your pet as healthy as possible.

The following are just a few examples of why well pet bloodwork is necessary:

Preventative Care Screening

There’s not always visible signs with underlying illness. Wellness bloodwork for pets allows your veterinarian to establish a baseline of health and identify irregularities before they become crises.

If caught early be routine screening, medication can prolong your pet’s life and avoid the expenses associated with emergency visits and hospital stays. The following are just a few diseases that can all be managed long-term with medication:

  • Kidney disease
  • Thyroid disease
  • Heart disease
  • Adrenal disease
  • Diabetes

Sick and Emergency Situations

Well pet bloodwork is essential to see the overall health of your pet.

Additionally, it allows us to make any emergency decisions in regards to treatment quickly.

Pre-Anesthetic Testing

If your pet needs any surgery, dentistry or other procedure that requires anesthesia, we would like to make sure anesthesia is safe.

Therefore, if we need to make any adjustments to anesthetic protocols if abnormalities are found.

Monitoring Bloodwork with Medication Use

Some medications metabolize certain organs. Bloodwork makes sure the medications are not straining any of these organs. For instance, we may prescribe a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) to an older dog with signs of arthritis to help with pain inflammation. The drugs metabolize through the liver and can also affect the kidneys. Therefore, we check the function of these organs regularly with our arthritic pets that are on NSAIDs.

With some other medications, bloodwork ensures that your pet is on the correct dosage. For example, we run a T4 test to make sure the methimazole dose for a hyperthyroid cat is correct.

 

Routine wellness bloodwork for pets allows your vet to address preventable diseases and perform early screenings. This means a healthier and longer life for your pet.

These are just a few reasons why well pet bloodwork is necessary. Contact us with the link below for more information or to schedule your next appointment with All Pets today!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *