SVHNews - Smith Veterinary Hospital's Newsletter

Thanks to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are living longer than ever before. As this happens, pet-parents are more willing to expend the time and money to help ensure that their pets live even healthier lives.

Isn't an exam and vaccines enough?
As many good pet owners know, good preventative care, which starts with the bi-annual veterinary examination, is needed to catch and delay the onset or progress of disease and for the early detection of problems such as organ failure and osteoarthritis. And while the physical health exam can help your veterinarian evaluate the health of you pet's eyes and ears and look for abnormal lumps or bumps, only a blood test can give valuable information about your pets internal health. Veterinarians depend on laboratory results to help them understand the status of your pets health.

Is it necessary to do Wellness Testing every year?
When thinking about our pets health, it is important to remember that one year for us is actually 5-7 years for our pets, so their health can change from good to bad fairly rapidly as they age. And while Wellness Testing can be critical for pets that are entering their mature years, puppies and kittens can benefit from annual blood work as well. When your pet is young and healthy, laboratory tests provide a means to determine your pet's "baseline" values and can catch any hereditary or congenital issues that may not have become symptomatic yet. If your pet is sick, the veterinarian can use the baseline values to more easily determine whether or not your pet's laboratory values are abnormal by comparing the baseline values to the current values. Subtle changes in these laboratory test results, even in the outwardly healthy animal, may signal the presence of an underlying disease.

What does blood work tell us?

CBC
This common test measures the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in a given sample of blood. The numbers and types of these cells give the veterinarian information needed to help diagnose anemia, infections, leukemia and some blood clotting disorders. A complete blood count may also reveal the presence of abnormal cells.

Clinical Chemistry
Blood-chemistry panels measure enzymes and certain blood chemical elements, such as calcium and phosphorus. This information helps your veterinarian determine how various organs; such as the kidneys, pancreas, and liver are currently functioning and can help evaluate bone and skeletal health. Electrolytes, which are also measured, are the body’s “electrical” system and help cells communicate with each other. Proper electrolyte levels are necessary for muscle contraction (including the heart) and nerve impulses. The results of these tests help your veterinarian formulate an accurate diagnosis, prescribe proper therapy and monitor the response to treatment. Further testing may be recommended based on the results of these tests.

Urinalysis
Laboratory analysis of urine is a tool used to detect the presence of one or more specific substances that normally do not appear in urine, such as protein, sugar, white blood cells or blood. A measurement of the dilution or concentration of urine (specific gravity) is also helpful in diagnosing diseases. Urinalysis can assist the veterinarian in the diagnosis of urinary-tract infections, diabetes, dehydration, kidney problems and many other conditions.