Wellness testing? Sounds silly, doesn't it? Why do any test (s) on an apparently healthy animal? Lack of communication, for one thing. Early on in the course of many diseases, illness is sub-clinical, with lack of symptoms. You or I may feel subtle changes in well being early on with many diseases and seek medical attention. Unfortunately, our pets are unable to communicate this to us, and while some may exhibit subtle behavioral changes, others act totally normal. Routine screenings for internal disease, as well as determination of protection levels against disease, can provide you with peace of mind and your pet with health and longevity.
Think of wellness testing as an internal physical for your pet. While there is no replacement for the physical exam, physical changes are often nonexistent early in many diseases. For example, in protein losing glomerulopathy (kidney disease) the only symptom exhibited by many pets is increased water consumption. In a multi-pet household this is difficult to detect. Urine tests show if the kidneys are losing excess protein so that medication and dietary management can be started before kidney failure occurs.
Wellness testing is tailored to meet your individual pet's needs. Age, breed, and previous test results determine the scope and frequency of testing. Screening tests include fecal testing for intestinal parasites, urine tests, blood tests to determine organ functions, for disease prevention, and to detect parasitic diseases such as heartworm, lyme disease, and erhlichiosis (tick borne).
Recommendations for dogs and cats vary slightly since disease susceptibility and ability to determine vaccine titers varies between species. Below are typical recommendations by age and species.
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8 weeks to 6 months: fecal exams, urinalysis if difficulty housetraining
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6 months (or at spay/neuter): preanesthetic screening, which consists of CBC and mini-serum chemistry to determine kidney and liver function
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1 year: fecal exam, urinalysis, and heartworm/lyme/ehrlichia blood test
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2-8 years: fecal exam, urinalysis, heartworm/lyme/ehrlichia blood test, titer test for distemper/parvo to determine vaccination status, CBC/ mini profile annual screening
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8-12 years: same as 2-8 years, with the addition of a full chemistry profile for internal function, T4 screen
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12 years and up: same as 8-12 years, with an additional physical exam every 6 month
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8 weeks to 6 months: fecal exams, urinalysis, FELV/FIV blood test -
6 months (or as spay/neuter): preanesthetic screening that consists of CBC and mini-serum chemistry to determine kidney and liver function
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1 year: fecal exam, urinalysis
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2-8 years: fecal exam, urinalysis, CBC/mini profile annual screening
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8-12 years: same as 2-8 years, with the addition of a full chemistry profile for internal function, T4 screen
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12 years and up: same as 8-12 years, with an additional physical exam every 6 months
