Bloodwork at Every Age: What Your Pet Needs From Puppyhood to the Senior Years
Lehi Hills Veterinary Hospital
The puppy who once needed to be carried into the veterinary clinic eventually becomes the dog who prefers a slower morning walk. The kitten racing through the house at midnight eventually becomes a cat who takes napping very seriously.
As pets move through life, their health needs change too.
At Lehi Hills Veterinary Hospital, bloodwork is one tool we use differently at different stages. A young pet may need testing before anesthesia. A healthy adult may benefit from a baseline. A senior pet may need more frequent monitoring.
There is no single schedule that works for every dog or cat.
What Does Bloodwork Help Us See?
Some parts of your pet’s health are easy to evaluate during an exam. Others require laboratory testing.
A complete blood count looks at red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A chemistry panel gives us information related to the kidneys, liver, blood sugar, proteins, electrolytes, and other internal processes.
Depending on your pet, we may recommend additional testing such as urine testing, thyroid testing, or infectious disease screening.
Bloodwork does not replace a physical exam. The two work together to give us a more complete picture.
Puppies and Kittens: Testing Before Their First Birthday?
Sometimes.
Healthy young pets do not necessarily need a full blood panel at every visit.
Bloodwork may be recommended if a puppy or kitten is not eating normally, has repeated vomiting or diarrhea, seems weak or unusually tired, is not growing as expected, or has another health concern.
Another common time is before anesthesia.
If your pet is scheduled for a spay, neuter, or another procedure, pre-anesthetic bloodwork can help us identify certain concerns that may not be visible during a physical exam.
Young pets are typically healthy, but testing gives us more information before the procedure begins.
Adult Pets: Start Building a Health History
Adulthood can be a relatively quiet period medically, and that is a good thing.
It can also be a useful time to establish baseline bloodwork.
When your pet has testing while they are healthy, we learn what normal looks like for them. Future results can then be compared with those earlier numbers.
This is especially helpful because a trend can sometimes matter even before a value becomes dramatically abnormal.
Some healthy adult pets may have bloodwork annually. Others may need testing at a different interval based on age, breed, lifestyle, medical history, and previous results.
Senior Pets: A Little More Detective Work
As pets get older, we often recommend looking below the surface more frequently.
Dogs and cats can hide early illness surprisingly well.
A senior dog may drink more water but otherwise act normal. A cat may lose weight even though their appetite is good. Your pet may slow down, sleep more, or have changes in bathroom habits.
Do not automatically assume those changes are simply age.
Bloodwork can help us evaluate kidney and liver values, blood sugar, blood cells, thyroid function, and other areas depending on your pet.
Some senior pets may benefit from testing every six to twelve months. Pets with ongoing medical conditions or medications may need more frequent checks.
Utah Adventures Count as Part of the Health History
Your pet’s lifestyle matters too.
If your dog joins you for hikes, travels frequently, spends time around other animals, or has regular outdoor exposure, tell your veterinary team.
Those details may affect which preventive tests are appropriate.
Bloodwork recommendations are not based only on age. We want to understand what your pet’s everyday life actually looks like.
When Something Changes, Call
You know your pet’s routines better than anyone.
Contact your veterinarian if you notice persistent vomiting or diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, increased thirst, more frequent urination, reduced appetite, weakness, pale gums, collapse, significant fatigue, or a major behavior change.
Bloodwork may help us investigate why your pet feels different.
Sometimes the results point us toward another test, such as a urinalysis, X-ray, or ultrasound. That is normal. Bloodwork is often one piece of the diagnostic puzzle.
Medication Can Change the Schedule
Pets taking certain long-term medications may need regular bloodwork.
We may need to monitor organ values, blood cells, electrolytes, or whether the treatment is working as intended.
Your pet may need testing after beginning a medication, after changing the dose, and periodically once everything is stable.
The exact schedule depends on the medication and the condition being treated.
Bloodwork Before Surgery and Dentistry
Before anesthesia, a physical exam is important, but it cannot tell us everything.
Pre-anesthetic bloodwork gives us additional information about your pet’s internal health.
If we find something unexpected, we may adjust the anesthetic plan, recommend another test, or postpone an elective procedure.
Normal results are valuable too and become part of your pet’s health history.
The Right Schedule Grows With Your Pet
Your pet’s needs at age one will not necessarily be their needs at age eight or twelve.
At Lehi Hills Veterinary Hospital, we look at age, health history, lifestyle, medications, symptoms, and previous results before recommending bloodwork.
If you are wondering whether your pet is due, ask at their next visit. We can help you choose a testing schedule that fits the stage of life they are in today.