Archive for category: Health

Some people may wonder why ThePetcheckup is so important if they are feeding their animal a good quality of food, making sure their pet has exercise and plenty of love,  regular veterinary care etc.

This is an important question and we address it in our Q & A on the website.  Annual veterinary exams, good food, and exercise are extremely important. However, as most of us are well aware,  changes in your pet’s health can happen in a very short time.  Even the most observant pet owner often has no way of knowing if there is an undetected problem.

Having a very cost effective tool that can indicate a potential problem before symptoms appear can be a lifesaver!  It can save your pet from pain and discomfort, save you money, and at the very least, it will provide you with peace of mind.

A positive reading for Leukocytes or Nitrites on the urine test is cause for consulting your veterinarian for further testing to confirm a urinary tract infection.

Positive reading for Leukocytes means that there are white blood cells (WBC) in the urinary tract.  White blood cells enter the urinary tract when there is an infection in order to “stand guard” and ward off further infection.

Because bacteria produces Nitrite, there is usually a positive reading on the Nitrite value as well. If there is no Nitrite present, it is generally because there is not enough bacteria in the urine to cause Nitrites to be produced.

The illnesses that is most often detected with ThePetCheckup are infections: urinary, kidney and bladder infections. Finding out that your dog or cat has an infection before symptoms appear means that you can get medical treatment at a very early stage – before the infection has progressed into something more serious.

In most cases, this means an easier and more successful treatment for your pet. Infections can become serious and painful!  And it means less expensive treatment as well.

Many of our customers have animals with chronic conditions.  Often, these dogs and cats require more frequent check-ups and tests by their veterinarians to monitor their health.

We always love it when a long-time (or new!) customer emails us to let us know the results of the most recent vet visit.  We received such an email this morning from a customer who’s dog is monitored for recurring kidney stones. She will be going for an ultrasound tomorrow.

It’s always interesting to hear what treatment protocols people are finding helpful.  This can be helpful too, when someone’s animal is newly diagnosed with a similar condition.

 

Something that we often say when talking about ThePetCheckup is that we hope that our customers never find an imbalance in the monthly tests. And that the peace of mind in doing these tests each month is invaluable.

I have experienced this many times with Chloe and Kate when all their test results are in the negative/normal range. It’s a mixture of feelings: deeper closeness with them, gratefulness to be able to do these tests, and appreciation for the additional knowledge that the tests provide.

Any information that we can provide our veterinarians about what occurs in between routine health appointments is significant. Whether it is that there were no abnormal values at all, an occasional trace value, or something more significant.  It is extremely helpful for vets to know what has been going on health wise since they last saw your animal.

It provides an important key to the overall picture of your animal’s health.