Your pet looks and acts completely normal, but after a textbook physical examination, your veterinarian recommends wellness blood work. You think to yourself that blood tests are for sick pets, but you are a polite person and you agree to the recommendation.

The next day you receive news that your pet’s results were normal. You are initially relieved—but then, you wonder, what was the point? After all, your pet looked perfectly healthy. 

The Family Pet Care understands your concerns, but blood work isn’t only for sick pets or those who need surgery. Normal blood work results from a healthy pet provide priceless information that their physical exam cannot supply.

What is wellness testing for pets?

Our veterinary team provides a number of wellness or preventive care services, including a physical examination, parasite screenings (e.g., fecal and heartworm tests), and necessary vaccines. These services are considered wellness care because they are designed to keep your pet in peak health by either preventing or detecting disease.

In this article, we’re focusing on wellness screening blood work, which is a small blood work panel we recommend annually for young and adult pets. Senior pets may require a more expansive test panel or twice-yearly wellness testing. The standard wellness blood work test includes:

  • Complete blood count (CBC) — This measures the cellular portion of your pet’s blood, including red and white blood cells and platelets. The CBC can indicate anemia, infection, a blood disorder, and some cancer types.
  • General chemistry profile — The chemistry or biochemical profile measures your pet’s organ function (e.g., kidneys, liver, gallbladder) and their blood glucose and electrolytes. The chemistry can indicate organ damage or disease, as well as dehydration or diabetes.

Normal wellness results confirm your pet is in good health

We understand that blood work may seem an unnecessary expense, especially if your pet is outwardly happy and healthy, but blood work is the only way to ensure your pet has no hidden internal illness. Dogs and cats are exceptional at concealing health changes, including pain, weakness, and disease, which makes accurate assessment of a pet’s health based on only their outward appearance difficult. Although this natural protective instinct shielded their ancestors from predators, modern domesticated pets can suffer in silence until their condition reaches catastrophic, sometimes incurable, levels.

Normal results create your pet’s health baseline

Every wellness blood work value has a range of results that are considered normal for the pet’s species and age. However, pets—like people—are individuals and their body chemistry doesn’t always follow the textbook. Measuring your pet’s CBC and general chemistry profile while they are healthy allows your veterinarian to identify harmless variations and establish your pet’s baseline or normal. 

Although the advantage may not be immediately apparent, understanding your pet’s baseline can help your veterinarian reach a more accurate diagnosis because they can dismiss blood work changes that are normal for your pet and focus on other abnormalities.

Normal results help your veterinarian identify subtle trends and patterns

When your pet receives annual blood work during their wellness exam, the results provide a larger picture of their health over time and our veterinarian can compare each report to previous results and more accurately identify and track small changes or patterns. Recognizing minor elevations or decreases in key values allows us to take proactive steps, such as additional diagnostic testing to detect diseases in their earliest stage. Early diagnosis not only gives your veterinarian a head start in curing or managing your pet’s condition but also often allows us with less-invasive and more affordable treatments.

Normal wellness results can reduce veterinary care costs

When your pet is sick or in an emergency situation, our veterinarian can consult your pet’s baseline findings and make tailored diagnostic or treatment recommendations. Knowing your pet always has an elevated liver enzyme or a slightly low-normal thyroid value can help them eliminate additional—potentially costly—testing and focus on more recent changes, which ensures not only a more accurate diagnosis but also that your veterinary funds will be well spent on testing and therapies that can truly benefit your pet. 

In addition, knowing your pet’s normal values can save precious time in an emergency by helping the veterinarian avoid waiting for unnecessary testing or results. 

Normal results validate your pet’s current care plan 

There’s nothing more validating than knowing you’re providing your pet with the best possible care. Normal wellness screening test results are the best way to measure and evaluate your pet’s internal functions, confirm their health status, and give you priceless peace of mind, because you can help avoid wondering if you’re doing the right thing.

When paired with a normal physical examination, your pet’s normal wellness screening results confirm your daily decisions and actions, including:

— Routine veterinary care
— Nutrition
— Exercise
— Parasite preventives
— Husbandry tasks (e.g., at-home dental care, basic grooming and hygiene)

Your pet’s health and happiness are priceless. Regular wellness testing and preventive care at Family Pet Care is the best long-term investment you can make to ensure your four-legged friend enjoys a long and love-filled life. Contact our team to schedule your pet’s next appointment.