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Patton Veterinary Hospital Offers Screening Blood Tests

Annual Screening Blood Tests To Be Offered at All Well Visits


            From now on, when your pet next comes to see us for a well care visit, our nurses and doctors will be discussing a new protocol recommended for all pets over the age of two years—screening blood tests.  Junior panels will be offered to all pets aged two to seven.  While young pets under the age of seven are less likely to have underlying health problems, there are a number of pets in this age group who may have liver, kidney or other values that lie outside the normal range.  Baseline blood tests for pets this age are very helpful in determining if your pet may have values that are slightly outside the normal range but normal for that particular pet or if there are, in fact, early signs of disease for which no symptoms are yet present. 

            When pets turn seven or eight, most are considered to be seniors, as dogs and cats age much faster than we do.  It is much more important to start looking for changes with internal organs and checking thyroid levels and red and white blood cell counts at this age and is a necessary part of a good physical exam.  We can only see the outside of your pet during an exam, we cannot see how his organs are functioning without these tests.  The idea is to catch and correct or slow progression of disease early BEFORE symptoms arise or serious complications associated with advanced disease occur. 

            With a desire to practice better medicine and to include our pet owners as part of those decisions, these blood tests will be offered for every patient at their annual well visit.  You as their pet parent can then make an informed decision as to whether you want to accept and perform the tests or not.  Please know that we will never pressure or pester you to do something you are not comfortable or prepared to do, but, if we do not offer these tests to everyone, you would not have the chance to review the information and to make the decision for yourself to accept or decline for your pet.  Therefore, blood screening will be offered for every patient, every year at his or her wellness visit.  We hope that most of you will consider doing these important tests annually or at least periodically, especially for senior patients.  We want to keep your pets healthy and with you for as long as possible.  The human-animal bond is an amazing thing, and we should all strive to preserve this bond with our pets. 

            This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.

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