Jaffa is off to the vet on Thursday morning for his annual vaccinations and health check. As he's now 9 I want to take the opportunity to give him a bit of a thorough check up so that if he has any problems they can be picked up early on. I've booked him in for a senior blood panel, although I'm not entirely sure what that involves over here (kidney and liver function I guess, but I don't know if anything else is routinely tested for). I did tell the receptionist that I wanted his thyroid checking, as I don't think that's included in standard blood tests.
He had a dental 5 months ago and the pre-op blood tests showed that something to do with his kidneys was slightly high. I'm not sure exactly what was high but the vet said it was nothing to worry about and could be due to him being dehydrated as a result of fasting for the op. She recommended he be tested again in 6 months time. He's been vomiting a bit lately, but not too often - about once a fortnight - and it's nearly always on an empty stomach so that all he brings up is a bit of bile. He's never been a great vomiter and doesn't have a problem with hairballs so that's started to worry me a bit, although I did change his food a few months ago so I don't know if that could be causing the vomiting. He's not showing any other signs of ill health - eating and pooping normally, no drinking excessively, and is his normal self in every other way.
I was just wondering whether anyone had any suggestions as to what I should ask the vet about or any specific tests I should request? The vets I use is a postgraduate teaching centre which is good in many ways, and I'm happy using them, but it does mean that you get seen by a series of interns who are newly qualified, so I'd like to have an idea in my own mind about what things I want to discuss with them before I go.
He had a dental 5 months ago and the pre-op blood tests showed that something to do with his kidneys was slightly high. I'm not sure exactly what was high but the vet said it was nothing to worry about and could be due to him being dehydrated as a result of fasting for the op. She recommended he be tested again in 6 months time. He's been vomiting a bit lately, but not too often - about once a fortnight - and it's nearly always on an empty stomach so that all he brings up is a bit of bile. He's never been a great vomiter and doesn't have a problem with hairballs so that's started to worry me a bit, although I did change his food a few months ago so I don't know if that could be causing the vomiting. He's not showing any other signs of ill health - eating and pooping normally, no drinking excessively, and is his normal self in every other way.
I was just wondering whether anyone had any suggestions as to what I should ask the vet about or any specific tests I should request? The vets I use is a postgraduate teaching centre which is good in many ways, and I'm happy using them, but it does mean that you get seen by a series of interns who are newly qualified, so I'd like to have an idea in my own mind about what things I want to discuss with them before I go.