Get a free heartworm test with your canine wellness profile

What is Canine Wellness Testing?

Wellness testing is a program of check-ups and blood tests designed to detect early or hidden disease in pets that appear to be healthy. In older pets, it is also used to monitor animals that feel well but have stable ongoing health problems.

Why is it important?

Dogs are very good at masking illness and disease may be present even in animals that do not appear to be sick. If a disease can be detected early on, before a pet shows signs of illness, then steps can often be taken to manage or correct the problem before permanent damage occurs. Wellness testing is particularly important in senior (geriatric) dogs, since there is a greater chance that an older animal will develop disease or have an ongoing but stable condition that needs to be monitored.

When is wellness testing done?

Wellness Testing should be done on a regular basis, and many pet owners combine wellness testing with their dog’s annual visit to the veterinarian for physical examination, vaccination, and heartworm testing. Depending on your dog’s age or specific health concerns, we may recommend more frequent testing. Monitoring your older dog's health on a regular basis makes it easier to detect minor changes that signal the onset of disease or deterioration of an existing condition.

Benefits of Wellness Testing

- Peace of mind that your pet is healthy

- Reduces treatment cost when diagnosis is made early, before clinical signs

- Assess the overall health of the patient

- Provides complete diagnostics. If positive for heartworm disease, the Canine Wellness Profile can help identify the effects that the infection has had on the body. Heartworm disease may cause a combination of medical problems in an infected canine, including dysfunction of the lungs, heart, liver and kidneys.