Senior Wellness Screening for Your Pet

0756333001614960986.jpg     For many years, veterinary (and human) medicine has focused on fixing a problem versus preventing it.  But many diseases and illnesses occur in the body before they can be realized by the individual or before clinical signs occur.  So what is the best way to detect early or subclinical disease?  Research has shown that preventative testing and a healthy lifestyle are the most effective way to decrease illness.  Since pets age more quickly than humans, these strategies become even more important in their lives.     

     So how and when should we perform preventative testing?  Currently, veterinarians agree that pets should be tested and on prevention for heartworm disease throughout their life.  However, there is no standardized testing protocol for animals as they begin to age.  As pets enter their senior years (over 50 in human years) they are more susceptible to infections, high blood pressure, cancer and other illnesses.  Here at Taylor Veterinary Hospital, we have customized a senior wellness screen to help examine and monitor our pets more thoroughly for these health issues.  The goal with this testing is to detect diseases early before irreparable damage occurs.
     

     The tests that are included in the screening are as follows; chemistry panel, CBC, electrolytes, T4, urinalysis, blood pressure check, tonometry, and abdominal ultrasound.  We offer this in a preventative package to allow for a cost-saving option for owners.  

Below is a testimonial from one of our clients and their wonderful cat, Trillian:

     During Trillian's annual exam, Dr. Goetsch had noticed some changes and recommended doing some additional testing since Trillian was now in her senior years, to make sure there were no underlying issues causing these changes.  

     After discussing the benefits, we decided to go ahead with the senior screening.  During the screening, the Taylor Vet team was able to identify that Trillian's kidneys were showing decreased functioning.  The blood work showed increased kidney numbers and the ultrasound was able to show just how much it had impacted the kidneys.  Luckily, we were able to find the issue early, and have been able to get her kidney numbers back into the normal range with a prescription diet.  We now know what we need to keep an eye on in the future.

     I know renal problems (and many other medical conditions) in pets can be very hard to catch early, so I am very thankful we had the Senior Screening done.  It really helped us discover a medical problem we could not visibly see, and take the steps to care for it now, rather than discovering it after it was too late.

     Anyone who has pets knows how much they become part of your life, part of your family.  Trillian is so important to us, and I really do believe that having the Senior Screening saved us from a lot of potential heartache.  Rather than having questions of "what if..." or regrets of "if only..." we get to say "thank goodness we know about it now.”

 - Melissa

   (above photos of the beautiful Trillian)

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