Lenny has high red/white blood cells in urine?

[tanza]

I always do blood work at least once a year… and urine too... It is the best way to know if something is going on..... Usually they will grow a urine culture for UTI, so you could do that ... but also sometimes they do not always show it.... and you may have just caught it as it started... I would do the Antibiotics and then re-check.....

[MaxBooBooBear]

Yes–I do both blood and urine regularly. They also do a test for crystals (which I think can turn into stones). I agree with Pat--do the course of antibiotics and then re-check. They don't always show obvious symptoms.

[jys1011]

Pat-that's great advice! I never thought of running tests yearly. What test do you ask the vet to do?

[tanza]

@jys1011:

Pat-that's great advice! I never thought of running tests yearly. What test do you ask the vet to do?

A regular full blood panel, it is a standard test… Just tell the Vet you would like a full blood panel workup. Also you should be doing thyroid tests, however remember this will not be a complete one if just done with the regular blood panel, as it needs to be a separate test, sent to a separate lab.

[tanza]

@jys1011:

Pat-that's great advice! I never thought of running tests yearly. What test do you ask the vet to do?

By the way, typically the blood work will show if there is a possible UTI depending on the blood work for the kidneys. Then you can have a urine sample tested…

[jys1011]

So we have come up on our one year mark that we got both of our dogs..aahh how time flies.

I'm setting up what I'm calling their "Annual Physical" :) so I told the vet that I wanted a Full Panel Blood Work and separate & distinct Thyroid Test.

I'm assuming they will be retrieving two separate blood samples for this?

I just want to make sure that I know what I'm talking about when I get there :)

Thanks in Advance!

[Quercus]

Yeah, I think they have to do a separate tube for the thyroid panel…and it takes quite a bit. They usually do jugular sticks (at least at my vet) to make sure they get enough...you don't want them to get too little, because the test will come back incomplete, and they will still try to charge you @@

I don't do a routine blood panel....only if somebody seems to have something wrong...but I do thyroid every couple of years for the breeding animals.

[tanza]

What I do is a blood panel when they are young as a base. Then only if they have something wrong… until they are 8 or 9. IMO, it is important to do the senior panels to see how the kidneys are doing... as they do start to slow down after the age of 8 or 9....

[MaxBooBooBear]

@jys1011:

I'm assuming they will be retrieving two separate blood samples for this?

I just want to make sure that I know what I'm talking about when I get there :)

Thanks in Advance!

Sometimes they can get enough blood from one draw (they just draw it all at once and put it in separate vials for different tests).

[jys1011]

Thanks everyone! Nothing like being an educated consumer..or patient :D