Senior Pet Wellness Exams: What Tests Should Older Dogs and Cats Receive?

Your older dog still greets you at the door. Your cat still settles into their favorite sunny spot. When familiar routines continue, it can be difficult to tell whether anything has changed beneath the surface.

That is one reason senior wellness exams matter. A physical examination and screening tests can identify concerns that are not obvious at home—and help your veterinarian distinguish a manageable health problem from changes associated with aging.

For many senior dogs and cats, routine screening includes a complete blood count, blood chemistry panel, and urinalysis. Blood pressure measurement and thyroid testing also deserve consideration, particularly in older cats. Additional tests depend on symptoms, examination findings, breed, medications, and previous results.

For pet owners in Lodi, California, understanding what these tests do can make a senior care appointment more useful and less confusing.

When Is a Dog or Cat Considered a Senior?

There is no single birthday that makes every pet a senior.

For dogs, size, breed, and expected lifespan matter. AAHA defines the senior stage as roughly the final quarter of a dog’s estimated lifespan, so a large dog may enter this stage earlier than a small dog.

Feline guidelines generally classify cats older than 10 years as seniors. These definitions help guide preventive care, but health concerns can warrant closer monitoring at any age.

Ask your veterinarian when your individual pet should begin a senior screening plan.

How Often Should Senior Pets Have Wellness Exams?

Lodi Animal Hospital recommends regular examinations every six months, continuing through a pet’s senior years.

Testing does not necessarily follow the same schedule as appointments. AAHA recommends a complete blood count, chemistry panel, and urinalysis every six to twelve months for senior dogs and cats. A pet with a chronic condition, new symptoms, or medication-monitoring needs may require testing sooner.

A six-month visit also gives you an opportunity to discuss changes in mobility, appetite, sleep, and behavior before they become more disruptive.

What Happens During a Senior Pet Wellness Exam?

Testing begins with a conversation and physical examination. Your observations help the veterinarian decide which tests are most relevant.

Be ready to describe changes in:

• Appetite, thirst, urination, or bowel movements.

• Weight, activity, and willingness to exercise.

• Jumping, climbing stairs, grooming, or using the litter box.

• Sleep, social interaction, or behavior.

• Coughing, breathing, vision, or hearing.

The examination may include checking the mouth and eyes, listening to the heart and lungs, feeling the abdomen, assessing joints and movement, and examining skin growths. Weight and muscle condition also matter.

AAHA emphasizes both a thorough history and physical assessment when evaluating an apparently healthy senior pet.

Which Screening Tests Should Older Dogs and Cats Receive?

The table below summarizes common discussions at a senior appointment. Your veterinarian will select tests according to your pet’s circumstances.

This overview draws on AAHA’s explanation of senior veterinary care and its diagnostic testing recommendations.

Complete Blood Count: Checking Blood Cells

A CBC evaluates red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

It can reveal anemia and changes that may suggest inflammation, infection, or other conditions. It provides information about blood cells that a chemistry panel does not, which is why veterinarians often request both.

An abnormal CBC is a clue, rather than a diagnosis by itself. The veterinarian interprets it alongside symptoms, examination findings, and other results.

Blood Chemistry: Looking for Changes in Organ Health

A chemistry panel measures substances in the blood that help assess kidney and liver health, blood sugar, electrolyte balance, and protein levels.

Results may suggest a need to investigate kidney disease, diabetes, or liver problems. However, an elevated value does not always identify the cause. Hydration, medications, and other health factors can affect interpretation.

Keeping previous results is useful because trends can provide context for a new finding. AAHA discusses chemistry testing as part of senior pet screening.

Urinalysis: Information Blood Work Cannot Provide Alone

A urine test helps show how well the kidneys concentrate urine and whether the sample contains unexpected protein, glucose, blood, or cells.

Blood and urine results complement each other. For example, a kidney-related blood value is more informative when the veterinarian also knows the urine concentration and hydration status.

Additional testing may include a urine culture when infection is suspected or a urine protein-to-creatinine ratio to investigate protein loss. These are separate tests and are selected when appropriate.

SDMA: An Additional Kidney Marker

SDMA is a blood marker that may be included in a chemistry panel or ordered separately.

It can help assess kidney function and is less influenced by muscle mass than creatinine, a commonly measured kidney marker. This can be useful in an older pet that has lost muscle.

SDMA does not give a complete picture on its own. Your veterinarian considers it with other blood values, urine findings, hydration, and changes over time.

Blood Pressure: Especially Important for Senior Cats

High blood pressure may cause little that an owner can recognize until complications develop. In cats, it is often associated with kidney disease or hyperthyroidism and can damage the eyes, brain, kidneys, and heart.

Blood pressure measurement uses a small cuff, typically placed on a limb or tail. Stress can affect readings, so measurements need careful interpretation.

Your veterinarian may recommend more frequent checks when a condition associated with hypertension is present.

Thyroid Testing: Different Concerns for Dogs and Cats

Older cats are commonly screened for hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid. Signs can include weight loss despite a good appetite, increased thirst, restlessness, or vomiting. A total T4 blood test is commonly used, although additional testing may be needed when results and symptoms do not agree.

Dogs may be evaluated for hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, particularly when there are concerns such as unexplained weight gain, reduced energy, or coat changes.

A low T4 result alone does not confirm hypothyroidism in a dog. Other illnesses, medications, and breed differences can affect the result. Further testing may be necessary before treatment.

What Additional Tests Might Be Needed?

Baseline screening may lead to a more focused investigation.

X-Rays, Ultrasound, and Heart Testing

Imaging may be recommended when an examination or laboratory result raises a specific concern—for example, persistent coughing, abdominal changes, or joint pain.

Heart testing may include an electrocardiogram to assess rhythm or an echocardiogram to assess structure and function. Breed risk can influence these decisions even before obvious symptoms develop.

AAHA recommends imaging when clinically indicated and identifies breed-specific reasons for cardiac screening. These tests are not automatically interchangeable or necessary for every senior pet.

Sampling a New or Changing Lump

A growth cannot reliably be identified by appearance or touch alone. Your veterinarian may recommend collecting cells with a fine needle or obtaining a tissue biopsy.

Report new lumps and changes in existing ones, including growth, bleeding, or discomfort. AAHA emphasizes evaluating skin masses as part of senior pet assessment.

Dental, Pain, and Behavior Assessments

Not every important assessment produces a laboratory result. Dental discomfort, arthritis, and changes in cognition require attention, too.

A cat that stops jumping may have joint pain. A dog that wakes repeatedly at night may need assessment for discomfort, urinary problems, or other illness before the behavior is attributed to cognitive decline.

Lodi Animal Hospital’s senior pet care services include oral health checks, mobility assessments, pain management, and arthritis care. For practical support at home, read our senior nutrition, mobility, and comfort guide.

How to Prepare for a Senior Wellness Appointment

Bring previous medical records and a complete list of medications, supplements, and doses. Write down changes you have noticed, even if they seem minor.

Short videos of walking, climbing stairs, jumping, or unusual behavior can help the veterinarian understand what happens at home.

Before the appointment:

• Ask whether fasting is needed for the planned tests.

• Confirm whether the hospital wants a urine or stool sample and how to collect it.

• Ask how to handle the usual medication schedule.

• Mention travel anxiety or difficulty standing.

• Request an estimate and discuss your priorities if costs are a concern.

Before leaving, confirm how results will be communicated and when follow-up is due.

When Should You Book a Visit Sooner?

Do not wait for a scheduled wellness exam if your pet develops increased thirst, unexplained weight loss, persistent vomiting, appetite changes, new difficulty moving, or a significant behavior change.

Trouble breathing, collapse, inability to urinate, or sudden severe weakness require urgent veterinary attention. Our guide to pet emergencies in Lodi explains warning signs and how to seek care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my senior pet need blood work if they seem healthy?

Often, yes. Screening can identify abnormalities that are not apparent during everyday activity or a physical examination. AAHA recommends routine laboratory assessment for senior pets, with the schedule adapted to the individual.

Can normal blood work rule out every disease?

No. Routine blood tests do not reliably exclude every cancer, heart problem, dental condition, or source of pain. Examination findings and symptoms may justify additional testing even when screening results are within the laboratory’s reference ranges.

Why does my pet need a urine test as well as blood work?

Urine concentration and other urinary findings help interpret kidney-related blood results and investigate urinary concerns. The tests answer related but different questions.

Will my pet need sedation for screening tests?

Many pets can have blood collection, urine sampling, and blood pressure measurement without sedation. The approach depends on their comfort, mobility, behavior, and the procedure. Tell the team about previous difficulties so they can plan appropriately.

How much does a senior wellness exam cost?

The total depends on the examination and tests recommended. Ask for an estimate that identifies the proposed tests, why they are useful, and any possible follow-up costs.

Schedule Your Senior Pet’s Wellness Exam in Lodi

Your pet’s later years deserve attention to both health and everyday comfort. Regular examinations and appropriate testing help guide decisions about treatment, nutrition, activity, and ongoing monitoring.

At Lodi Animal Hospital, our senior pet care includes wellness examinations, blood work, urinalysis, nutritional counseling, and support for pain and mobility concerns.

Call (209) 369-6601 or request an appointment to discuss a wellness plan for your older dog or cat.