Wellness

Preventative Testing

• Fecal Examination: Recommended at least twice in puppies and then yearly. In animals that hunt or eat wildlife, it is recommended to submit samples more often. Fecal sample should be less than 8 hours old. Samples are sent to our laboratory, and they test for roundworm eggs, hookworm eggs, whipworm eggs, giardia, and coccidia. Fecal examinations are important for the health of both the pet and family because many of these worms can be passed to people and can be especially dangerous in young children, the elderly and immunocompromised people. Even indoor pets should be tested since eggs can live in the soil and can be tracked in on shoes or paws.
• Heartworm and tick-borne diseases Testing: Combo testing recommended yearly. This test only required a small sample of blood from your canine companion. Heartworm, one component of the test is a very serious disease that is passed by mosquitoes. Mosquitoes inject microfilaria (baby heartworms) into the animal, and they move to the major vessels of the lungs where they develop into long, slender worms. As the disease progresses, the animal experiences difficulty breathing and eventually develops heart failure or respiratory distress. Heartworm is very common in the south but is increasing in prevalence in our area. While heartworm treatment is fairly expensive and dangerous, prevention is relatively easy. We recommend that our patients be on heartworm prevention year-round. The other 3 diseases we test for (Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Lyme Disease) are passed by ticks and often present with lethargy and painful joints. Anaplasma can also attack your dog’s platelets (small, colorless cell fragments in our blood that form clots and stop or prevent bleeding).
• Wellness Bloodwork: Recommended yearly after 1 year of age. All our early disease detection panels include a chemistry panel to check organ function and a complete blood cell count. Annual bloodwork is important because every animal has their own normal blood values. Yearly bloodwork is helpful to determine what is normal for each animal before they become ill. As we perform bloodwork yearly, we can monitor for underlying disease so we will be able to catch diseases early and begin treatment as soon as possible. As the pets age, additional chemistry values and thyroid testing are included to further monitor for underlying disease. Hypothyroid disease is common in middle age to older dogs. Diagnosing and treating this disease is important because it makes dogs more prone to infections and skin problems. Dogs may also gain weight, have decreased energy, and lose hair along their back and sides. While these symptoms can be vague and are often thought to be normal signs of aging, thyroid testing helps us to determine if medication is needed to supplement an underactive thyroid gland. By comparing different thyroid blood results run at different times, we can determine how long the disease process has been occurring which allows us to treat the condition properly.
• Urinalysis: Recommended for every dog yearly after age 6. Urine samples are sent to the laboratory where they look at the concentration and acidity of the urine and determine if there is anything abnormal present in the urine such as bacteria, protein, blood, etc. It is important to check older animal’s urine because many common diseases show changes in the urine before changes are seen in the bloodwork. Test yearly urine samples also help us to determine the health of the urinary tract. For example, if the acidity of the urine is not correct, it can make the pet more prone to bladder infections and stones. By fixing the acidity, we can help to prevent these uncomfortable and possibly serious problems.
• Radiographs: Recommended after age 10 based on the health of your dog. These tests are used to help determine the health of the heart and lungs. Heart disease is relatively common in many breeds of dogs as they become older. Once heart disease is detected, we can start the pet on medication to slow the progression and make them more comfortable. Radiographs are an easy and non-invasive way of seeing what’s going on inside the body. With radiographs many diseases such as cancer can be diagnosed before symptoms are seen.