Cartersville Animal HospitalEarly Detection...Now is a good time to start

Early detection is not one test, a series of tests, or a single visit—it is a new way of caring for your pet. Medical advancements enable us to diagnose potential pet diseases before they become a serious problem. Some of these diseases include:

• Heartworm disease
• Diabetes
• Thyroid disease
• Cancer
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Arthritis
• Heart disease
• Intestinal parasites

The veterinary team at Cartersville Animal Hospital depends on laboratory test results to help them understand the status of your pet’s health. When your pet is sick, the results of laboratory tests can help us confirm the presence of some illnesses and rule out others. Dr. McElwee may also run tests during the course of your pet’s illness to track the course of the disease and the results of treatment.

When your pet is healthy, we may want to run certain laboratory tests to establish your pet’s “baseline values.” Usually, these tests include a complete blood count (CBC), a blood-chemistry panel, and a urinalysis. Testing for intestinal parasites is done initially and twice annually in most healthy pets. Learn about intestinal parasites and the simple testing procedure to protect your pet when you download our informational handout. We follow the recommendations of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to protect you, your children, and your pet from intestinal parasites. Visit the CDC website, a terrific source of information for every pet owner.

In addition, your pet will be tested at least annually for heartworm disease. To learn more about testing for this extremely dangerous and potentially deadly disease, download our informational heartworm handout.

The Heartworm Society is another great resource for information about heartworms.

When your pet is sick, we can more easily determine if your pet’s laboratory test values are abnormal by comparing the baseline values to the current values. If your pet is on a chronic medication, it is extremely important to recheck at appropriate intervals and to have periodic blood evaluations on those pets receiving chronic long-term medications, such as NSAIDS, heart drugs, thyroid medications, and seizure medications.

With current medical testing and technology, you can protect your pets like never before. By following our wellness recommendations according to the age of your pet, many diseases can be caught early. Early Detection can make all the difference, adding years and quality to your pet’s life.