New Services!
We are now offering acupuncture therapy and therapeutic (“cold”) laser therapy – great for senior pets!
Thanks to advances in medicine, our pets are living longer than ever. With this increased life span comes an increase in diseases that affect our senior pets. These diseases are similar to problems in aging people and include: kidney, liver, and heart disease, tumors or cancers, arthritis, diabetes, thyroid imbalances, and more.
Dogs and cats age at a faster rate than people. Due to this rapid aging, we recommend a complete senior wellness evaluation once to twice annually. Early detection is important to institute preventive health measures for a better quality of life.
We recommend annual blood work and urinalyses to establish a normal baseline specific to your pet, and to help us detect problems as they develop. In addition to yearly heartworm and fecal testing recommended for all pets, recommended senior lab tests may include:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) – This test measures the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in the blood sample. The numbers and types of cells can help your veterinarian diagnose anemia, infections, and leukemia.
- Blood Chemistry – This test helps your veterinarian asses how various organs such as the kidneys, liver, and pancreas are functioning.
- Urinalysis – Urine testing can help diagnose diabetes, urinary tract infections, kidney problems, and other conditions.
- Thyroid Screen (T4) – This blood test checks for hyperthyroidism, which is common in cats. It may also be useful to screen for hypothyroidism in dogs.
Further testing may be recommended based on the results of the senior lab tests.
