Age-Appropriate Bloodwork…
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Pet owners today are more invested than ever in their dog and cat’s well-being. Did you know that “ninety-seven percent of people consider their pets to be family members”? —(Mark Cushing Today’s Veterinary Business June/July 2025).
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Owners seek a level of care with personalized services and appointments that allow them access to their primary-care veterinarians. Pet parents have taken a lot of time and research in selecting their pet, researching different breeds that would fit into their household and way of life. They have invested money and love and have followed their veterinarian’s recommendations regarding vaccinations, foods, training, spaying and neutering, medications etc., all in hopes of making the right decisions so that they can have a long life with their companion. Afterall, our pets age at an accelerated rate in comparison to us.
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So where does preventative age-appropriate bloodwork fit in? Ad why should we consider it for our pets? Age-appropriate bloodwork carries a lot of value…It can provide a baseline of what is considered “normal” for our pets as we move through their various life stages.
Additionally, it can provide our veterinarian with valuable information regarding changes in our pet’s health over a period of time, thereby allowing earlier intervention of treatment of disease.
Some disease processes that can be found may be subclinical, (meaning that the pet isn’t showing overt signs that the owner is aware of). Examples include: early anemia, some types of cancer, silent urinary tract infections, GI disturbances, electrolyte imbalances, inflammatory processes such as arthritis, infection, liver disease, biliary stasis, cardiac disturbances, thyroid disturbances, kidney disease, pancreatitis…
As a result of finding abnormalities early in bloodwork, veterinarians can be proactive in predicting how certain abnormal organs are going to function, thereby making suggestions of how to intervene . This in turn can provide our pets with a better quality of life and a longer amount of time with their owners.