Book a demo of the industry-leading marketing program for veterinarians Schedule Here
Book a demo of the industry-leading marketing program for veterinarians

Does my senior dog really need lab work done? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

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.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from

How soon will I receive my dog’s lab results? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

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.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from

How is the safety of my dog ensured when getting lab work done? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

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.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from

Is the sample collection painful for my dog? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

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.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from

How is blood drawn from my dog? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

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.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from

Will follow-up lab work need to be done on my cat? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

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.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from

Why might my senior cat need lab work done? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

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.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from

Why might my healthy, adult cat need lab work done? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

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.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from

Why might my kitten need lab work done? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

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.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from

How is the safety of my cat ensured when getting lab work done? - Animal Hospital of Statesville

We try to make it as stress-free as possible, whether we are distracting by petting or using the catnip or treats if they're food motivated. Some cats are too nervous to take treats when they're here. And so, the proper restraint method is essential in protecting your cat from getting hurt, as well as protecting our staff from getting hurt. We don't want that to happen to either side, so well-trained staff goes a long way. If we know the pet is too stressed, then we stop. We also have the kitty comfort kits if we know we need to run tests, then you can give them something to calm them, to take a little of the stress off of them. Most of our cats do great, but we have those few that get too stressed. By giving them something to calm them, it helps everyone involved.

Contributed by Nichola Gaither from
Subscribe to