If your pet is aged eight or older and seems generally healthy, do they need annual blood and urine tests and blood pressure checks?

Yes, here are three reasons why performing these tests routinely in older pets is a good idea:

1. Blood and urine tests can lead to the earlier detection of health problems and better outcomes for the pet

Whilst physical examination is an excellent way of checking the general condition of an older pet, it doesn’t always tell us about more subtle internal health issues.
For example, let’s consider chronic kidney disease (CKD), estimated to occur in 30-40% of cats over ten years of age.

Vets grade the progression of CKD in affected cats in four stages, with Stage 1 being mild disease and Stage 4 being severe disease. In cats with Stage 1-2 disease, obvious external symptoms of unwellness are usually mild or absent. However, blood and urine tests can detect these earlier stages of CKD, and scientific studies have shown that diagnosis and management of CKD in early stages often leads to a longer survival time for the pet (and usually better quality of life for the pet during that time too).

2. High blood pressure can be a “silent” danger

High blood pressure in pets commonly occurs secondary to other health conditions, such as an overactive thyroid in cats or Cushing’s disease (overactive adrenal function) in dogs. Still, it is often not detectable on routine physical examination alone.
Unfortunately, significantly elevated blood pressure causes damage to other organs, such as the kidneys, heart and brain. It can lead to sudden blindness due to retinal damage.

3. It’s always helpful to know about your pet’s general organ health

When pets get injured and require an urgent procedure or surgery, it’s good to have up-to-date blood tests to tell us about their recent organ health so we can proceed as safely as possible.

For more advice on keeping your older pet in tip-top health, consult our helpful team.