I could ask my vet but they are now closed, so in the mean time…I would like to know what it is since it’s $200.
I am trying to make sense of the invoice they wrote up for cyst removal.
Thanks in advance.
It may be a charge for more extensive blood panel if your dog is > 7 YO (IIRC).
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Yes I thought it would something like that but I hardly think of her as a Senior dog - she is 8 and acting like a 3 yo.
She just had a full check up, too. I will ask my vet whether that is really necessary (same vet that spayed her 5 years ago and has seen her regularly ever since).
Thanks.
If the surgery involved anesthesia, it is likely the more extensive blood panel that they do on older pets to make sure they are healthy enough to undergo it. I’m pretty sure this goes just by age, not how the pet acts, and is beyond what would be done in a normal annual checkup.
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Senior is considered over 7 in dogs, iirc? Agree that a “senior panel” in this case would be bloodwork. Prudent for an 8 yo dog, but frustrating that the vet didn’t give you a heads up!
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Yes, I think “senior” begins at age 7. It is the senior bloodwork. At my vet’s, it’s recommended but optional. You could opt for the standard blood test instead (it’s unclear if you’re looking at the pre-surgery estimate or if it already happened). I opted out of the senior panel when having two skin cysts removed from my 7 year old dog last year.
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It may also include a basic thyroid check as well. For young pets, a smaller chemistry with either 6 or 10 things included is commonly done. The more comprehensive/senior panel looks at more liver values as a general rule.
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Agree, very prudent blood work pre surgery, that assures your pet is healthy enough for anesthesia, and a very common practice to do.
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It is an estimate. Surgery is planned for the next few days. I understand the need for blood work before surgery and I’ll ask about senior vs standard blood test.
Thanks again everyone!
And it may not be spelled out, but often a senior panel will include a urinalysis which can be a really helpful screening test
The senior panel really drove my dog’s dental costs up, but after he had a heart scare during one anesthesia, and they found the early stages of kidney disease a few years later, it proved its worth. My vet was up front about it though.
