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Benefits of Diagnostic Testing
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During a Physical Examination we can get a general idea of an animal's health. It is however, limited to the things we can see, (hair coat, mucus membranes) or the things we can hear, (heart and lung sounds). Many of the vital organs that keep our pet’s body running do not give outward signs until disease or illness is in advanced stages. Most of the diagnostics that your pet will experience are the same tests run during a routine human doctor visit.
Blood and Urine Diagnostics are the “window” into the pet’s body.
- Annual Examination- For seemingly healthy pets, diagnostic tests can detect pre-existing conditions such as anemia or kidney function problems. Also, doing blood work on younger animals gives us a base line in which to monitor and track their health throughout their lives. Small changes can be significant in diagnosing and treating diseases later in life.
- Sick Examinations- For older or sick animals it is extremely important to run full panel blood screens. Many diseases are present long before a pet shows any outward signs. For sick or senior animals, diagnostic tests are used to diagnose illness and disease, monitor organ degeneration, and monitor response to medication.
- Pre-Surgical Blood Work - Blood work helps us better understand organ function and allow us to foresee problems before an animal is showing outward symptoms. Before surgery, it is important toensure the pet's internal organs are healthy and able to process anesthesia. In human medicine a battery of tests are run prior to any surgery. The same is required for animals. Since many anesthetic and pre-anesthetic drugs are processed through the blood stream and therefore through the organs, it is important to have results in case adjustments need to be made in the anesthetic protocol for this pet. Failure to perform this testing may significantly affect the success of the anesthesia and the overall outcome of the surgery.
- Urinalysis- A urinalysis run in conjunction with a panel of blood work gives the most accurate, well-rounded picture of the pet’s health. Urinalysis can also show signs of urinary tract problems, bladder stones, infection, diabetes, and early renal disease.
- Fecal – A stool sample is examined for internal parasites. Many parasites cause weight loss, diarrhea, anemia, and loss of appetite. It is important for routine fecal examinations, as many of the parasites that can infect our pets, can also be transmitted to humans.
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