Everyone wants to spend as much time as possible with their pet which is why we put a special emphasis on senior pet care at Fairview Heights and O’Fallon Animal Hospital. Many health conditions do not appear until later in life, so there are certain things that we like to look out for as pets age. Older pets have weakened immune systems, which means they can contract diseases easier than younger pets. Chronic conditions that older pets are especially likely to deal with are diabetes and arthritis.
Due to health concerns that come with aging, we recommend that our senior pets come visit us twice a year so we can do bloodwork, diagnostic imagine, and urinalysis. By continuously monitoring your pet’s health, we can treat issues as soon as they arise rather than after they progress.
By performing bloodwork twice per year, we can look for things like anemia, various infections, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, and more. Bloodwork gives us a clear idea of what is happening on the inside. If anything comes up abnormal in the bloodwork, we can quickly address the issues and either perform more testing or come up with a treatment plan.
Another way of getting a clear picture of your pets overall urinary tract health is through a urinalysis. The test looks for things that should not come up in a pet’s urine like protein, sugar, or blood. This will inform us of possible diabetes, urinary tract infections, and liver disease, as well as glucose regulation and kidney and bladder function.
Diagnostic imaging includes things like x-rays and ultrasounds. This helps us see if there are issues that do not come up in the physical exam, bloodwork, or urinalysis. Diagnostic imaging can diagnose cancer or arthritis, among other issues.
Phone: 618-398-1530
Phone: 618-632-6303