Skip to main content

Early Detection and Other Screening

Early Disease Detection

Early detection blood screening helps us keep healthy pets healthier for longer!

These blood tests allow us to identify organ insufficiencies and diseases early on. A simple change in diet, the addition of a supplement or the right medication can often be enough to slow down, stop or even reverse existing damage well before your pet is noticeably sick.

Both dogs and cats should be carefully monitored by their owners for symptoms including drinking more water, increase or decrease in weight, urinating more or less frequently, changes in appetite, mobility or behaviour. Your veterinarian should be consulted if you notice any of these.

For a list of common pet diseases your veterinarian is screening for, go to the common pet diseases chart.

Heartworm Testing

Heartworm is a parasite that is passed from animal to animal by mosquitoes. All it takes is one bite from an infected mosquito to pass on the parasite’s larva to your pet. Heartworm is much more prevalent in dogs than in cats.

It is important to test your dog on an annual basis even if he or she is on monthly year-round prevention. At our hospital, testing requires a small blood sample and includes screening for heartworm, as well as 3 tick-borne diseases (Lyme, Erlichia, and Anaplasma). This test is done in-hospital and results are available within 24 hours.