8 Items That Every Dog Owner Must Know When Going To The Vet
1. Your veterinarian is one of the most vital people in your dog’s life. You must decide your veterinarian just as you choose your own doctor, by reputation and excellence of service. You and your dog should feel at ease with this professional. You need to feel that you can trust your veterinarian, particularly in an emergency situation.
2. Be sure that you have stated your own goals and your intentions with your dog so that your veterinarian can know what you are expecting. Your dog’s health depends on your being capable to work together with your vet.
3. When you have a puppy, you will be visiting your vet many times during the first year. After that, start a routine by visiting every six months for fecal and physical examinations and once a year for a total work up, including blood tests. Use this as a pre-emptive measure. Dog’s cannot notify you where it hurts or if they are not feeling very well. Preventative drug can put years on your dog’s life.
4. When having blood work done, make sure that your dog has fasted at least 12 hours before the test.
5. Blood work and urinalysis need to be handled very cautiously. In some of the tests, there is a time factor involved.
6. Some differences in clinical chemistries exist between breeds. German Shepherd Dogs, for instance, tend to be lower than other breeds in glucose, LDH, alkaline phosphatase, BUN, and uric acid. Their amylase and transaminase may be higher. Phosphorus and SGPT were found to be higher in Beagles and Labrador Retrievers.
7. Your best guide is the evaluation of your own dog’s test results. Establish what is standard and be sure that the tests are run always using the same laboratory.
8. If you have made the choice to modify your dog’s diet from commercial dog food to a natural diet, have blood drawn before you change. You should have a CBC, a chemistry screen or profile and also a fecal analysis completed. One month after putting your dog on the new diet, have the same tests run. This will provide you a basis for comparison. Changing to a natural diet frequently puts a dog who had health troubles back into balance.
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