Routine Laboratory Tests During Pet Checkups
If you fall ill, you should be able to describe your symptoms to a medical professional, including how severe you’re feeling and the date you first noticed the signs. Plus, you can aid the doctor in making the correct diagnosis by answering their inquiries.
However, assessing the health of an animal suffering from illness is a more challenging task. They cannot express themselves verbally, so you must rely on nonverbal cues such as changes in appearance or behavior to determine if something’s wrong. Due to this, the laboratory test is an essential tool to help your pet’s overall health. It’s a beautiful opportunity to evaluate your pet’s organs, find out what’s wrong with them and prevent the onset of health problems.
Necessary Laboratory Examinations for Pets
Your pet could require lab tests if you observe any changes in behavior, for example, more thirst, changes in urination and appetite, weight loss, or the feeling of being tired. These could indicate various problems, including some minor issues and some more severe ones. Veterinarians advise the following tests as part of an overall pet health evaluation.
1. Complete Blood Count
An entire blood count (CBC) could reveal problems such as anemia, dehydration, infection, blood clotting, and immune system functioning. The pet should undergo this test in a veterinary laboratory when he exhibits signs like a high temperature, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, weakness, yellow gums, or a decreased appetite. An entire blood count (CBC) will detect bleeding disorders and other unseen abnormalities that could interfere with the anesthesia required before surgery.
2. Heartworm Testing
The most common belief is to believe that heartworms are a disease that affects dogs only. Though it happens less often, however, a heartworm can affect cats. An infection caused by worms in the heart and pulmonary arteries can be fatal. Mosquitoes are the cause of transmission of the disease. It is better to prevent heartworm disease treatment. Since the condition can lead to severe complications, it is recommended that your pet be tested for heartworm disease in a trusted animal hospital, like Dockery, Mobley & Associates Animal Hospital, before beginning preventative treatment. Talk with your trusted vet about the most effective product to help prevent illness.
3. Screening Blood Exams
A blood test is a diagnostic test that aids doctors in identifying conditions that can cause noticeable symptoms. Ultimately, the screening test is recommended to rule out illnesses like diabetes, kidney disease, and thyroid problems, regardless of your pet’s health. Regarding veterinary surgery, screening tests are necessary for all pets.
4. Fecal Analysis
Cats and dogs alike are susceptible to getting intestinal parasites. Roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms are all kinds of internal parasites. Testing the stool of an animal by the fecal flotation test (also called the fecal float) and fecal antigen test can reveal the presence of internal parasites. Internal parasites must be identified as they could be transmitted from one animal to another or, in rare cases, even to humans. Many treatments are currently very effective against parasites.
5. Urinalysis
Urinalysis examines the amount as well as the pH of the urine from the pet. In addition, it analyzes your urine for the presence of white blood cells and red blood cells, proteins, bacteria, casts, and crystals. The tests reveal the degree of hydration a person has regardless of whether they have kidney or bladder disease or diabetes, infections, or other health issues.
If you have an exotic pet and you suspect that he is ill, you can seek the service of an avian and exotic vet in an animal hospital for a comprehensive examination.
