An important part of preventing diseases in your pet is regular physical examinations and lab tests. I've been a veterinarian in clinical practice since 1987, and worked in both human and animal hospitals for 10 years prior to that, and I can say without doubt that detecting diseases early maximizes your chances for successful treatment or even cure, with the least out-of-pocket expense.
So how often should your pet receive blood and lab testing? Based on guidelines recommended by the experts and my own clinical experience, I believe the most cost-effective way is to get laboratory testing (blood, urine, and fecal tests) at least annually in pets under five years of age and at least twice per year in pets five years of age and older.
As our pets age, just as we age, the incidence of chronic degenerative diseases increases. In most cases, a physical examination or lab test will reveal these diseases before the pet ever acts sick. In fact, by the time the pet exhibits symptoms, the disease is often in an advanced stage, compounding treatment and adding to the expense of keeping the pet healthy. Many of the older pets I see in my practice have one or more problems identifiable on a physical examination or laboratory test, yet they still look healthy. This is the best time for us to intervene, and gives us the optimum chance of treating the disease with natural therapies.
