If we find something that's abnormal, we will want to follow up with that. These lab tests are one moment in time, and so it might be a very short-term elevation or abnormality. And so we want to know in two weeks, or four weeks, what's going on with that value. Did it go back to normal, and we don't need to worry about it, or is it going up further, and we need to investigate the underlying cause? If we're treating something, we want to follow up—that would be another reason to see if that's working and what we need to do from there.

I would say even more so when they're seniors. We know that pets age much quicker than we do and not that age is a disease, but things tend to happen more commonly as we age. We recommend certain lab work for all patients, no matter the age, but we suggest what seniors are more at risk for when they come to see us.

If we do them in the clinic, those tests would be the same day while you're still at your visit. And then, if there are some that we send out, it may be a day or two—that would be a typical turnaround for most routine lab work.

At the Animal Hospital of Statesville, we are big on fear-free approaches because we know that stress and fear can cause problems. If a pet is struggling, that's not good for them, nor is it good for our staff. Sometimes we use bribery to get things done. We also may use distraction and, if needed, we may use calming medications.

I usually tell my clients that it's a needle poke, so it's like getting a vaccine. We often scratch their ears, we pet them, and we might feed them cheese—something to distract them, and most pets don't tell me that they find it very painful.

The simple answer is from the vein. That might include the cephalic vein. We may draw from a leg or the neck—from the jugular vein—those would be the most common areas.

If we detect abnormalities, we want to follow up and make sure that they have improved with the treatment. We don't want just to assume because the pet is acting better that they are genuinely better. Again, we know that cats, like all of our animals, hide their sickness and disease much of the time.

The lab work for our senior cats would be to ensure that they aren't developing a problem that can commonly occur as cats age.

Adult cats can hide things. So, that would be one reason to do a well check—to detect problems early and serve as a baseline.

One of the tests we've talked about is screening for the viral diseases, feline leukemia and FIV. Another lab test might be a stool check. So, we want to make sure your kitten doesn't have parasites that can be contagious to you, me, or other cats in the household. We want to ensure that the cat or kitten is as healthy as they can be.