AT LOMBARD ANIMAL HOSPITAL WE ARE
CELEBRATING SENIOR PETS THIS SEPTEMBER!
One of the most beneficial
things you can do for your senior pet is to schedule biannual wellness exams
and labwork. Labwork entails collecting
a blood and urine sample from your pet. Our
team strives to complete the process smoothly and efficiently, with little
stress to your pet. The result is that
we are able to gain valuable information about your pet’s health status that
can lead to a longer, happier life! |
| Coors, (almost) 14-yrs old! |
Why are wellness laboratory panels important to my
pet?
Early detection of underlying imbalance or disease, means
early treatment and prevention for your pet. This results in a better quality
of life and longer healthspan for your pet.
 |
| At 11-yrs old, Abby is just about 65 in dog-years! |
Senior pets are 7 years or older. In human years, this means
they are approximately 50 years old.
Because pets age 5-7 years in every human year, this would equate to
running wellness laboratory tests every
2.5-3.5 years in a human.
What is a senior wellness laboratory panel?
The panel we submit for most senior pets includes:
Complete Blood Count
(CBC) – this evaluates red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Some things the cbc can detect are anemia, infection, bone marrow abnormalities,
inflammation, some types of cancer, and abnormalities in the body’s ability to
stop bleeding.
Chemistry Screening
– This consists of 25-27 values that help doctors to evaluate the health status
of the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, pancreas, and thyroid. It gives us information about electrolytes,
which can be imbalanced with dehydration and some organ diseases. In many
cases, this part of the panel is used to monitor the progression of diseases
commonly occurring in senior pets, such as renal insufficiency, diabetes, liver
diseases, and hyper- or hypothyroidism.
Urinalysis – The
urinalysis is useful in detecting many underlying disease processes such as
urinary tract infection, inflammation, renal disease, and diabetes. Most importantly in senior pets, the
urinalysis gives us information about the kidneys’ ability to function
properly.
To read on in more detail about laboratory testing, click here!
At Lombard Animal Hospital, in Portland, Oregon we strive to increase the quality of life for pets and their people through education, nutrition and wellness!
Give us a call -- We'd love to see you and your pets!
503.285.2337
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