Did you know that the kidneys can lose 75 percent of their functionality before any symptoms are seen? Or that 40 percent of female dogs over the age of seven can have a silent urinary tract infection? Or that low thyroid levels (hypothyroidism) can be a common cause of obesity in older pets?
Thankfully, there are methods available to help track these issues. Blood and urine testing can detect problems in your pet much earlier than if you had noticed these symptoms. These tests can even detect changes well before we can see them here during an exam. Lab testing is a crucial part of a general health exam in pets over seven.
With all of that in mind, at OC Veterinary Medical Center, we are proud to announce that we have a new combination panel that checks for:
- Blood changes
- Liver disease
- Diabetes
- Electrolyte abnormalities
- Parasites (heartworm, flea- and tick-spread diseases, intestinal parasites)
- Urinary infections
- Pancreatitis/fat levels
- Thyroid disease
- FeLV/FIV in cats
- Early stage kidney disease
- Heart muscle disease
If lab testing has not been performed on your dog in a year, we encourage you to schedule an exam—or we can schedule lab testing along with a senior health exam. We are kindly asking you to please bring in a fresh fecal sample as a part of this test. Please note: the testing is more accurate if the sample was not collected right after a meal.
Let’s work together to help our pets live long, healthy lives! Call us now at (714) 602-4713 to schedule an exam.