Related Content: Kitten Wellness | Puppy Wellness | Senior Wellness

We are here to help your pet live a long and happy life. Often times your pet may seem happy, but there could be a disease going unnoticed. Along with a physical exam, there are five types of basics tests the doctor will use to evaluate the wellness of your pet. However, not all of these tests are done at every stage of your pet’s life.

1. Complete Blood Count (CBC)

The CBC test for anemia, infection, inflammation and overall healthiness of the blood cells. It also evaluates the number and type of cells in circulation. White blood cells (WBC) help fight infection or inflammation. Red blood cells (RBC) carry oxygen to the tissues.

2. Chemistry Tests

The chemistry panel surveys many of the organ systems of the body to make sure they are working normally.

Liver: These tests help evaluate various functions and health of the liver. Decreased liver function, inflammation, infection and neoplasia (abnormal growth of cells) of the liver and gall bladder may be detected.
Kidney: These tests monitor the function and health of the kidneys. They are most helpful and sensitive for detecting kidney disease when combined with a urinalysis.
Pancreas: These tests are abnormal when there is something wrong with the pancreas or carbohydrate metabolism (examples are diabetes mellitus and pancreatitis).
Muscle and Bone: These tests are helpful in determining the health of bone metabolism. They are abnormal with muscle damage, trauma or inflammation and are important in monitoring the electrical, water balance and cellular health of the body. Deficiencies or excesses of the electrolytes are harmful to the animal’s physical and mental well-being.

3. Thyroid Function Tests

As the name implies, these tests are useful in diagnosing malfunctions of the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone) is common in dogs; where as hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone) is common in older cats.

4. Urinalysis

This assesses the health and function of the urinary system. It is especially important in older animals to help in early detection of kidney disease. While some serum chemistries help evaluate kidney function, much more information is obtained when a urinalysis is done at the same time. The urine sample is tested for several chemical components (glucose, protein, blood and more), as well as any cells (WBC, RBC, epithelial, etc) and crystals. This test can also indicate if there is a urinary tract infection which is common in older female dogs.

5. Parasite Exams

Fecal: A sample of stool is examined to look for hookworms, whipworms, roundworm, coccidia, Giardia and other intestinal parasites.
Blood: Serum is tested for the presence of heartworm on an annual basis.

These are test that should be done throughout your pet’s life. But this is not all that should be done to help your pet have a happy and healthy life. There are other steps to take for your puppy, kitten and senior pets.