Wellness Screen:  What is it?

More than 10% of pets brought to veterinary clinics for checkups have some type of underlying disease or abnormality.  Many of these pets appear normal upon physical examination, and their abnormalities would go undetected without a wellness screen.  (A blood test is designed to detect these silent problems.)

The process of disease development can be slow and insidious.  When an organ system starts to fail, that organ will compensate to bring function back to normal.  Over time, this compensating mechanism will fail and the pet will become ill.  Once the pet is in organ failure, treatment options are limited and the prognosis is poor.

Our staff can perform a simple in-house blood test that will check your pet's liver, kidneys, pancreas, electrolytes, minerals, and blood sugar.

The test can also alert us to infection, inflammatory disease, and anemia.  Early detection of disease is key.  Once a problem has been identified, we can make appropriate treatment recommendations at a point when treatment will make the most difference.  Often a simple diet change is all that's needed to avoid major health problems.

Our wellness screen is a simple blood test.  We usually have results within 20 to 30 minutes.  If you have questions, please talk with a staff member at Phillips Veterinary Clinic.