Congratulations On Your
Wonderful Senior Pet!
Who is a senior and why it’s important for you to know about
potential changes in your pet’s health status as he/she ages:
Dogs are considered senior pets at age 7 years and above and cats at 10 years
and above. Your veterinarian may discuss a diagnostic panel called the General
Senior Profile with you. We recommend this Profile as an annual screening tool,
and it is an integral part of our preventive medicine program.
The Profile is comprehensive and includes the following tests: complete blood
count, serum biochemistry profile, urinalysis and thyroid hormone measurement
diagnostic testing. The complete blood count measures red and white blood
cells, hemoglobin, platelets (clotting fragments), and other parameters. The
biochemistry panel evaluates several measurements including functional tests of
the liver, kidney, and pancreas, glucose, cholesterol, electrolytes, triglycerides,
and calcium. Urine concentrating ability, blood, protein, and glucose are among
the factors assessed in a urinalysis. The thyroid hormone level suggests the
presence of an abnormally-functioning thyroid gland.
The Profile is easy to implement, and it takes just a few minutes for the
technician or veterinarian to quickly draw a syringe of blood for analysis. Urine
can be obtained by a “free catch” sample during a quick walk after your
appointment, or from non-absorbable cat litter that can be collected later at
home. These are non-invasive and painless diagnostic procedures.
This Profile provides an excellent window into your pet’s general health, and can
identify many common diseases. Clinical conditions frequently characterized on
the General Senior Profile include diabetes, kidney failure, liver failure, pancreatic
inflammation, anemia, urinary tract infections, Lyme infection, heartworm
disease, general infections, and thyroid abnormalities. The analysis can also
suggest further evaluation for certain cancers and hormonal diseases. In
addition, it can also function as a monitoring panel to assess responses to
different treatments and therapies.
The Profile frequently identifies clinical conditions in asymptomatic (no
symptoms) patients presenting for wellness exams. Many cases are identified in
our hospital setting and three cases are worth mentioning as they identified
problems before the patients became ill and illustrate the value of a senior
wellness screening. We hope you appreciate the importance of early detection
to your pet’s overall health once you read these actual cases from some of our
own patients. We also hope you will understand why your pet’s veterinarian may
recommend that you perform this screening during your pet’s visit to the clinic.
If your pet’s blood work comes out normal, then you will have peace of mind
that your pet doesn’t have any undetected illness and your pet’s doctor will have
a baseline history of your pet’s profile.

“Casey” is a senior dog who presented for a wellness examination and
vaccines with no clinical problems. The General Senior Profile was
completely normal except for the presence of low platelets. “Casey”
subsequently underwent diagnostic testing, including a bone-marrow
biopsy. She was diagnosed with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia,
underwent treatment, and is doing very well at this writing. “Casey” never
became ill, thanks to the early screening by the Profile.

“Zoe” is a senior dog who presented for a wellness exam without clinical
illness. Her panel identified an elevated calcium value. Elevated calcium,
or hypercalcemia, can be suggestive of certain cancers and hormonal
diseases, and if untreated can hurt the kidneys. “Zoe” underwent further
testing and was diagnosed with a parathyroid (a gland in the neck) tumor.
She had surgery for parathyroid tumor removal, and is healthy at this
writing.

"Bailey" is a 12-year-old Labrador Retriever who presented to the clinic for
an annual wellness exam and vaccinations. Routine senior wellness blood
work was analyzed, and anemia (decreased red blood cell count) was
discovered. Further diagnostics, including an ultrasound, revealed a tumor
on the spleen. Surgery was performed to remove the tumor; biopsy
analysis revealed the presence of hemangiosarcoma, a vessel tumor which
can cause intra-abdominal bleeding, fainting, collapse, and sudden death.
Early detection was facilitated through the routine blood work and allowed
for early intervention and prevention of severe illness.