Why is my vet recommending Geriatric profile all of a sudden?

Question

I just took my 10 year old dog to the vet she's been going to for the past 9 years. I realize she's gettin old for a dog, but he told me he is recommending a geriatric profile on all dogs 5 and older. Said something about checking blood, kidneys...etc and can prevent problems.
My question is whay all of a sudden does my dog need this? She was 5 like 4 years ago!
She's probably got another 2-3 years of life in her, so whats the point? I love her...that's why I was at the vet, getting her yearly shots and checkup. She gets heartworm meds and is in excellent health.
I just think it's a ploy to get and extra $100 bucks from me per year. Not gonna happen!
Anyone else's vet recommened this?

Answer 1

Most vets consider any animal over the age of 7 human years geriatric. At that age their organs can begin shutting down and so a organ profile is recommended but not always necessary. However at her age I would strongly recommend doing it because she may have more than just 2 or 3 years left. My grandmother had a 16 yr old German Shepherd that was recently put down because of kidney failure. It is a long story but her first vet did NOT run an organ profile on her and just said it was cancer and so she didnt treat her and by the time she took her another vet and he DID run a profile on her kidneys were already shutting down and we had her put her to sleep. It could have been treated and managed if the orginal vet had done the test to begin with. So I would recommend it. I wasnt with my Grandma when she went the first time but I demanded the profile the 2nd time and we will not go back to the first vet.

In the end it is up to you but having yearly bloodwork done on elderly dogs helps monitor their organ function and can prevent MAJOR problems in the future. I would recommend it just to be safe because if she does have problems you can catch them before they become major and help her have a longer healthy life.

Good job on the yearly vaccines and heartworm meds. A lot of people dont do that.

Answer 2

My vet recommended a geriatric profile for my cat. Because you dog is getting up there in age your vet is trying to see if the dog has any underlying medical problems that isn't visible to the naked eye or the usual blood workup. It's like giving your pet a complete physical. However $100 for this service is a little high. It all depends on how much you love your pet and do you feel the animal is worth getting the extra care. Your dog doesn't necessarily have to die within the next 2-3 years. Animals these days live a lot longer.

Answer 3

Yes, it's an extra ploy to get $100 bucks from you. Oh wait, the vet has to pay the lab $75 bucks! I'm sure he's doing it for the $25.00.

It's called preventative medicine. Since animals can't talk and let you know that there's something wrong, this is the way that it's done. Just like a heartworm test finds out if they have heartworm, just like a stool sample checks to see if they have parasites, it's all preventative.

Hey, you don't have to do it. But if the tests can find something that can be taken care of before it becomes a bigger problem or becomes life threatening, it would be worth the price, don't you think?

Answer 4

because not all dogs are normal. Some dogs can have values that are above or below what is normal for a dog but you won't be able to tell if you wait until the dog is sick. By getting a baseline, you can then tell what is normal for your dog and when they are sick, you can then determine more quickly whether the problem is related to the values you're seeing.
You don't need to do it yearly but getting a baseline is a great way to make sure high values seen on a emergency visit aren't actually normal for YOUR dog. it can also give you a heads up on problems that you may not even be aware of. I took my older dog in yesterday for an exam and he has a heart murmer. I also had a liver value done on another dog who is on special meds and her liver values were through the roof. We already knew her baseline values so we knew this was a medicine issue and have changed her dosage. Neither of these problems showed ANY physical signs and the liver would not have until her liver was permanently damaged. I had no idea, their health is excellent. But it's good to be aware before problems start.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

I am surprised they didn't recommend it sooner. The Geriatric profile can find health conditions that may not be showing symptoms yet. Early medication and diagnosis of an olders dogs health issues can not only save your pets life, but save you money in the long run. There are many conditions that can be slowed or reversed by medication upon early diagnosis, that could become uncurable or unfixable and extremley expensive if not treated early. These tests are very similar to the tests a persons doctor would recommend as they get older. Please keep in mind that a large percentage of dogs develop kidney/ renal issues as they age. Early detection of kidney issues can prolong your pets life. Get the tests! Your pet is worth it.

Answer 7

I have only known my vet to suggest this if the dog was going under for a teeth cleaning or other medical procedure. In this case, it's so the vet is aware of what potential problems could arise or if the anesthesia may be something the dog simply can't handle due to an underlying medical condition. I've not had a vet suggest it for any other reason. I suppose it could be helpful to know these things, but without an obvious reason (medical issue present) I can't see why you would need it.

Answer 8

My vet and his techs recommend every darn thing in the world, including the geriatric checkup. If your dog is healthy and having no problems, don't do it. My 2 cats lived to 16 and 17 years old with nothing more than routine checks. Sometimes they do go overboard with this stuff.

Answer 9

It's become common for vets to do geriatric blood work on dogs by around age 7 (depending on breed). I have it done annually on my 2 older dogs because if you can catch things like kidney failure, for example, early enough, it can be easily treated. The cost of the blood work is very minor to me when you consider the heartache it can prevent.

Answer 10

It is a good idea to get a profile every 2-3 years. That way there is something to compare it to if there is abnormal blood work. The dog is 10 now and a profile would be a good idea. If many things are caught early enough, they can be easily managed.