Dog Care First Vet Visit Senior Dog Parvovirus Summer Care Cat Care First Vet Visit Senior Cat FeLV Cat Myths Exotic Care Birds Rabbits Guinea Pigs Hamsters Box Turtles Important Info Spay and Neuter Zoonotic Diseases AVID FriendChip Wellness Exams Oral Care Pest Prevention For Dogs Only Sentinel For Dogs & Cats Interceptor Frontline Plus

Wellness Exams Want to ask your pet how they are feeling? Get a wellness exam. Many technologies that help humans live longer, healthier lives are available to your pet. By performing a few basic tests, your Veterinarian is able to gather a wealth of information concerning the well being of your pet. There are four basic wellness tests your veterinarian will use to diagnose the health of you pet:         1. Complete Blood Count (CBC)         This tests for anemia, infection, inflammation, and the healthiness         of the blood cells.         2. Chemistry Tests         This panel surveys many of the organ systems of the body to make sure         they are working normally.         3. Thyroid Function Tests         These tests are useful in diagnosing increased (hyper) or decreased         (hypo) functions of the thyroid gland.         4. Urinalysis         This assesses the health and function of the urinary system. This is         especially important in older animals to help early detection of kidney         disease. Complete Blood Count (CBC) A complete blood count is a series of tests that evaluate the number and type of blood cells in circulation. WBC, or white blood cells, help fight infection or inflammation. RBC, or red blood cells, carry oxygen to the tissues. Chemistry Tests Liver - (AST, ALT, Alk Phos, T. Bilirubin, GGT, Cholesterol, Proteins) This group of tests helps evaluate various functions and health of the liver. Decreased liver function, inflammation, infection, or neoplasia of the liver and gall bladder may be detected by one or all these tests. Kidney - (BUN, Creatinine, Phosphorus, Amylase, Albumin) These tests moniter the funtion and health of kidneys. They are most helpful and sensitive for detecting kidney disease when combined with a urinalysis. Pancreas - (Glucose, Amylase, Lipase, Triglyceride) These tests are abnormal when there is something wrong with the pancreas or carbohydrate metabolism (examples are diabetes mellitus and pancreatitis). Muscle and Bone - * Calcium and Phosphorus are helpful in determining the health of bone metabolism. * CPK and AST are abnormal with muscle damage, trauma, or inflammation (myositis). * Electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, Phosphorus) These tests are important in monitering the   electrical, water balance, and cellular health of the body. Deficiencies or excesses of these electrolytes are   harmful to animals' physical and mental well being. Thyroid Tests As the name implies, thyroid tests evaluate the function of the thyroid gland. Too little thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) is common in older cats. Because there is no single thyroid test that can diagnose all thyroid diseases in animals, several different thyroid tests are used to assure proper results (T4, T3, Free T4, and more). Urinalysis While some serum chemistries help evaluate kidney function (BUN, Creatinine, etc) they are more informative when a urinalysis is done at the same time. The urine sample is tested for several components (glucose, protein, blood, and more) as well as any cells (WBC, RBC, epithelial, etc) or crystals. The above is a publication of: Antech Diagnostics: The Leader in Veterinary Laboratory Medicine