Rainbow Wags Pet News

Reasons Why Pets Don’t Get Blood and Urine Tests

“I can’t afford it.” The low cost of early testing is much less than high cost of acute care for a serious illness. Also, many diseases are curable or treatable if caught early. In addition, may veterinary clinics have plans to work out payments such as Cross Check, CreditCare, and Credit Card financing.

“My dog is fine—we just took him on a 5 mile walk yesterday.” Animals can’t tell you when they feel badly and people, including veterinarians, can’t tell if an animal is OK by looking at it. Animals tend to suffer in silence, and hide their illnesses (cats especially) until they are very sick. Sometimes symptoms of disease, like weight loss or a ravenous appetite, are mistaken for signs of a healthy animal.

“I’ve had many cats. Gumdrop is only eight, and most of my cats live until they are sixteen. I don’t need to start testing now.” Recent advances in veterinary medicine will allow cats to live even longer—into their 20’s in many cases. Once symptoms of disease are obvious, the disease is advanced and much more difficult to treat. Even young cats sometimes surprise us with the early onset of kidney disease or other problems we did not suspect.

“Most diseases are uncommon, and I don’t think my dog will get one of those.” While each individual disease is uncommon in total, your pet has almost a 90% chance of acquiring at least one disease during its lifetime. Since we cannot rely on family history or help from the patient, blood and urine tests remain the very best way to screen for disease.

“My cat is 15 but you never brought this up before.” Veterinary medicine has advanced, and it is now known that testing can help pets live longer and healthier lives. With the availability of accurate and affordable tests, we feel this is an important benefit for your pet.

“My dog is 10. Too old for me to spend a lot of money on him.” Animals are living much longer than before, and old age is not considered a disease or a source of discomfort. Older animals do have more ailments, and many of them, like arthritis, are treatable, and can make your dog feels years younger when managed properly.

“My cat never goes outdoors. She is just fine.” Although indoor cats are not exposed to many diseases, they are susceptible to many problems, including things like heartworm disease. In fact the incidence of heartworm disease (carried by mosquitos) is equal in indoor and outdoor cats.

“My dog is only 7, why does she need this?” Just as people begin to see their doctor more frequently in their 40’s and 50’s, pets begin to do the same at about age 7 (roughly equivalent to 49 people years). Tests will detect problems early and will act as a baseline in the future if and when problems do start to crop up.

Meet the Veterinarians from Middletown Animal Hospital:

Dr. Brie Taylor was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, with loving and supportive parents, family, and friends. She and her two brothers had many pets growing up which helped cultivate her love of animals and her dream to become a veterinarian. After receiving a B.S. in Biology from Oregon State University in 2002, she again attended Oregon State University where she obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2007. She is excited to be a new edition to the veterinary team at Middletown Animal Hospital and enjoys working on a variety of animals. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, two cats, Toledo and Gracie, and family Golden Retriever dogs, Kalli, Bailey, and Donovan. She also loves to explore the outdoors and can’t wait to experience the diverse natural beauty California has to offer.

Dr. Jeffrey J Smith , DVM graduated from Cornell University in 1986. He completed an internship in Thousand Oaks, California in 1987, and stayed on for another year as an associate. Before opening MAH in 1991, he worked in a small animal clinic, in an equine practice, and in an emergency clinic. In 1990 Dr. Smith came to Middletown with the goal of building a veterinary hospital that the community could be proud of. Little by little he cleaned up the property, added staff and equipment, and built-up the reputation of the hospital. The mission of the hospital is simple: Provide the best possible care to each patient and client. Dr. Smith places a high value on continuing education and medical technology in order to offer the best care available. His biggest challenge on a day to day basis is to keep the small business running smoothly--- unfortunately that sometimes means cutting into his time as a veterinarian!

Dr. Sarah Mason was raised in rural southern Oregon on her grandfather and her father’s cattle ranches. Growing up around livestock and horses fostered her desire to become a veterinarian from a young age. In 2002 she graduated from the Oregon State University agriculture program with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and then completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, also at OSU, in June of 2007. Dr. Mason has spent the last year in large animal ambulatory practice in the North Bay area, gaining invaluable experience in equine and small ruminant medicine and field surgery. She is looking forward to broadening her horizons and taking on new challenges with the doctors and staff at Middletown Animal Hospital. She enjoys trail running, hiking, knitting, and watching movies in her spare time. Her current project is training her 11 month-old terrier mix puppy named “Patti” to come when she is called.

Middletown Animal Hospital
21503 Highway 29
Middletown, CA 95461
707-987-2000

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