We’ll routinely perform a complete blood count (CBC) and a complete blood chemistry panel, including electrolytes and urinalysis. The CBC tells us if there is infection, inflammation or anemia. The chemistry panel and electrolytes tell usif your pet’s liver, kidneys and pancreas are healthy and performing asthey should. A urinalysis tells us if there’s infection or inflammation in the urinary tract—a common problem for pets of all ages. AT test provides information about your pet’sthyroid gland function. This is extremely important because thyroid disease is common in dogs and older cats.

We want to catch diseases before they are servere, but we want to repect your budget as well. For the reason, we look at spacing out blood tests when they are young and feeling healthy to every 3 years. An added bonus is if a healthy pet has had normal bloodwork in the last year, we won’t need to repeat it when they come in for a routine procedure like a dental or lump removal. As a patient enters their truly geriatric years (11 years for dogs and 14 years for cats), we will look at doing blood testing on a yearly basis to make sure we don’t miss an important change.

To schedule blood work testing, make an appointment online or give us a call. If you have any questions or concerns, we’re happy to talk!