Your vet may recommend specific treatments or tests to monitor your pet’s overall health when you bring your pet in for an examination or diagnose or treat a health issue. The term “preventive testing” is used for this type of test.

Preventive testing allows you to create a baseline for your pet compared to subsequent tests to see whether anything has changed. It also enables you to spot problems early before they escalate into full-fledged issues, allowing your pet to enjoy a long and secure life.

Based on research, ailments and underlying disorders are easily identified by regularly checking your pet’s health patterns for signs of illness or underlying conditions through regular preventative tests. Sometimes, testing in the lab is the only method to detect diseases before they become more serious.

Common Lab Tests

Routine checkups for your pet should include laboratory tests. An in-depth look at some of the most popular tests and the information they could reveal about your pet’s health is provided below. This post will explain some of the most commonly used pet lab tests and how being aware of them can assist your pet in staying healthy and living longer.

1. Complete Blood Count (CBC)

A vet will analyze your pet’s blood to determine the white and red cell count in addition to immune status and hemoglobin levels. This is the oxygen-transporting component of red blood cells.

Blood tests are often used to determine the reaction of animals to long-term medication. Your veterinarian can send samples to external laboratories to examine less frequently occurring conditions, such as parasites, allergies, or histology. Visit a veterinary laboratory for more details.

2. Urinalysis

A urinalysis usually occurs when you visit your doctor; however, most veterinarians do not do this necessary test regularly. This could be because collecting urine from animals is more challenging or because medical professionals do not acknowledge the need for urine tests. Regardless of the situation, Urinalysis is an essential complement for the blood test.

Urinalysis findings can supplement blood test results and offer additional information that blood tests may not be able to reveal. Urine tests, for instance, can reveal ketones or glucose levels are present. The urinalysis test can also show early protein loss from the kidneys. A blood profile can’t.

3. Fecal Testing

Healthy cats and dogs must get a fecal test at least two times a year since they can have intestinal parasites which can spread to other animals and possibly humans. Positive test results typically indicate that deworming is necessary and follow-up tests to confirm that all parasites have been removed.

Animals who suffer from any illness, however, with widespread diseases like diarrhea and vomiting, are subjected to fecal tests. This more recent test searches for DNA from parasites, bacteria, and toxins.

4. Radiography

Radiography employs minimal amounts of X-ray radiation to permit the vet to look at the internal organs. It may help any animal with any condition; however, it’s most commonly utilized for orthopedic and soft tissue issues.

With radiography, pups can be examined to determine if they have hip dysplasia. It can be constructive in quickly identifying animals that do not appear to have particular issues. When radiography is done in “normal” animals, there are many instances where we can identify problems and can offer the best treatment options before they manifest into significant difficulties. A vet like East Bay Veterinary Clinic has more information on their website.

5. Ultrasonography

Since ultrasound tests employ sound waves rather than radiation, they’re completely secure. If the animal is not agitated, it may typically be performed without anesthesia. Two tests are usually required because ultrasonic imaging of bodily tissue is different from radiography.

Ultrasound tests can also be employed as a tool for screening. Scottish canines, for instance, are prone to a high rate of bladder cancer, whereas larger dogs have a higher rate of liver and spleen cancer. Contact your local veterinarian for dog dental care details.