Wellness screening testing is essential to your pet’s health care plan, despite them being young and seemingly healthy. Our Marcy Veterinary Clinic team is devoted to helping pets live longer, happier lives, and we explain the screening tests we recommend and why they are critical to your pet’s wellbeing.

Recommended pet wellness screening tests

During a routine examination, our team determines what wellness screening tests they need based on their medical history, age, lifestyle, and disease risk. Tests we commonly recommend include:

  • Complete blood count (CBC) — A CBC provides information about your pet’s red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets, and helps our team diagnose issues such as infection, anemia, blood clotting disorders, and certain cancers.
  • Biochemistry profile — A biochemistry profile is a comprehensive test that provides information about your pet’s organ health, electrolyte and mineral values, and more. This diagnostic tool helps us detect conditions such as kidney and liver disease, diabetes, and electrolyte imbalances.
  • Fecal check — Intestinal parasites, such as hookworms, whipworms, roundworms, giardia, and coccidia, are common in pets, but our team can detect these organisms with a simple fecal check and then provide the appropriate treatment.
  • Heartworm test — Heartworms can significantly damage your pet’s heart and lungs. The American Heartworm Society recommends annual testing for dogs, including those on a year-round heartworm prevention protocol, to ensure the prevention program is effective. 
  • Tick-borne disease testing — Tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis, can cause your pet debilitating, chronic problems, and knowing your four-legged friend’s status is important, so we can instigate any necessary treatment.
  • Urinalysis — In some cases, our team may recommend a urinalysis to evaluate your pet’s urine, which can help detect conditions such as diabetes, urinary calculi, kidney disease, and urinary tract infections.
  • Thyroid panel — Senior pets are especially prone to thyroid disease and we may recommend testing your pet’s thyroid levels. Hyperthyroidism is most commonly seen in cats, while hypothyroidism is most commonly seen in dogs.

Why pet wellness screening tests are important

You may think that taking your pet to the veterinarian when they are young and seem healthy is a waste of your time and money, but wellness screening tests are important for several reasons, including:

  • Pets hide vulnerabilities — Predators don’t lurk behind your couch, but your pet’s instincts still tell them to be on guard to protect themselves from becoming prey. This means that they hide vulnerabilities, such as illness and pain, and often don’t exhibit signs until their condition is advanced.
  • Detecting disease early — Early detection of diseases, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, and thyroid issues, is important to allow us to instigate treatment as soon as possible. This helps improve your pet’s prognosis and quality of life.
  • Establishing a baseline — Diagnostic screening tests have an established normal value range, and some pet’s “normal” value falls at the lower end of this range, while others “normal” falls at the higher end. Regular wellness screening tests help our team establish your pet’s baseline, so we know when their diagnostic values change and there is cause for concern.
  • Tracking trends and changes — Regular wellness screening tests also help us track trends, so we can intervene and provide treatment if your pet’s values are trending in a negative direction.
  • Saving money — Health conditions detected in the early stages are typically easier to treat, and early detection can prevent costly emergency veterinary bills.

Pet wellness screening test frequency

Each pet is unique, and our team determines how often your pet should be evaluated based on their specific needs. General recommendations include:

  • Puppies and kittens — Puppies and kittens should have a fecal check at their first veterinary visit, and may need rechecks if they harbor any parasites. Puppies should be tested for heartworms at 6 months and 1 year of age, and yearly thereafter. Puppies and kittens should also have a CBC and biochemistry performed before they undergo anesthesia for their spay/neuter procedure.
  • Adult pets — Adult pets should be evaluated by a veterinarian and undergo wellness testing at least once a year.
  • Senior pets — Senior pets, who are at higher risk for medical issues, should be evaluated by a veterinarian and undergo wellness testing every six months. Your pet’s species and breed determine when they reach senior status, so ask our team when your pet should start senior wellness testing.

Healthier pets who live longer start with regular wellness screening tests. Contact our Marcy Veterinary Clinic team to schedule your pet’s wellness evaluation, so we can ensure they are as happy and healthy as possible.