[poochie2]

I was just wondering if it is necessary to do bloodwork every so often. Vanilla had her first blood work yesterday and I am thinking I should do this yearly at the same time when they do the heartworm test. She is 1 and a half now. I was glad to see her levels were very, very good.

 

[pinkpixie1588]

Leila had bloodwork done right at 16 weeks. Everything looks fine, but I'll probably try to have it done once she's full-grown. I'm not sure I'll have it done every year unless I see something suspicious or am changing her diet to homecooked/raw and really need to watch her values closely.

 

[Jayne]

I have my dogs blood work done once a year, and always before dentals or any surgery.. My Flumpy had a problem with his spleen.. My vet was just getting ready for the surgery when she reviewed his blood work.. He was a bleeder and had she not done the bloodwork, and had gone ahead with the surgery, he would have bled to death.. We still weren't able to save him in the long run, but with chemo we were able to keep him for another six months that we wouldn't have had if I had chosen to skip that very important step.. It may seem like it isn't necessary, but it really is VERY important..

 

[jmm]

I do it first before spay/neuter and then annually. Dogs age so much faster than we do....annual labwork is an important way to keep on top of your dog's health.

 

[MalteseJane]

for senior dogs it is even recommended to do it twice a year.

 

[Tanner's Mom]

Because Tanner has MVD, I have a short panel done on him twice a year. For a while I was doing it quarterly, but his ALT has leveled off & he's not symptomatic.

Frankie & Jamie get/will get b/w annually. My 14 y/o IG sees the vet 2x a year and gets b/w both times.

 

[CrystalAndZoe]

Yep. They get blood work annually. Now that Zoe's 6, she'll be getting a full blood panel every 6 months. When I first started feeding Dr. Harvey's, I did a full blood panel on them every 3 months to ensure they were getting everything they need. For both my own peace of mind and so that I could truthfully and honestly tell customers that my dogs are thriving on it. Not just 'appearing' to thrive. The first full blood panel is usually done prior to their spay/neuter. It's great to have a baseline for if ever something should develop later in the future.