Urinalysis and Fecal Diagnosis
Urinalysis is an important diagnostic tool in evaluating your pet’s overall health. It can aid in evaluating kidney function and bladder health and can be important in identifying other problems, such as diabetes. A urinalysis will often be performed at the same time as bloodwork. The two results paired together provide more information on internal organ function than either can on their own. If blood or urine testing will be part of your dog’s appointment, please try to prevent them from urinating for a few hours ahead of your appointment to ensure their bladder is full.
Fecal examinations can help check your pet for internal parasites and decide on a treatment plan if any are detected. A fresh fecal sample is best. Please note, these samples can take up to 1 week to receive results.
Why are canine fecal examinations recommended yearly?
Dogs have extremely sensitive noses which draw them to many things we would miss in the environment. They love to taste many of the things that they find. It can lead to possible exposure to parasites from fecal contaminated ground and plants, as well as stagnant water and tissue from dead animals. Fecal testing is important to identify parasites if your dog has a possible history of exposure, or is exhibiting gastrointestinal disease. Most of the intestinal parasites that dogs get are through a fecal-oral method; therefore, they can easily get re-infected. You can discuss the frequency of testing and treatment with your veterinarian based on your pet’s individual lifestyle and risk assessment.