What We’re Catching Earlier—and Why It Matters

By Dr. Susan

One of the biggest shifts we’re seeing in veterinary medicine is a move toward earlier detection, identifying subtle changes before pets are showing obvious signs at home.

The tricky part is that pets are incredibly good at convincing us everything is fine… even when it’s not. (Honestly, they’re often better at it than we are.)

By the time we notice things like decreased appetite, weight loss, changes in drinking habits, or even small shifts in behavior, something may have been developing quietly for a while.

That’s not because anyone missed something, it’s simply how many diseases progress. Pets compensate well, and they can appear completely normal until changes become harder to ignore.

Why Routine Screening Matters

This is where routine screening becomes so valuable.

Bloodwork allows us to establish a baseline for your pet and monitor for small changes over time. Often, it’s not about a single abnormal result, it’s about trends.

A kidney value that’s still technically “normal” but slowly increasing over time tells us a very different story than a single snapshot. The same goes for liver enzymes, red and white blood cell counts, and other markers we track.

Catching those changes early can give us more options, more time, and in many cases, better outcomes.

It also often means we can intervene when pets are still feeling good, before they’re uncomfortable or clinically ill, which is always our goal.

A New Layer of Early Detection

As part of this shift, we’re also incorporating newer screening tools into our approach when appropriate, including cancer screening for certain patients.

We’ve recently added Cancer Dx screening to our senior comprehensive wellness profiles, and we’ve also introduced an early detection screening option for higher-risk dogs, allowing us to start screening earlier in select patients.

Cancer is one of the most common diseases we see in dogs, and in many cases, it develops quietly. Early stages often don’t come with obvious signs at home, which can make it difficult to detect without screening.

Cancer Dx is a blood test we can use to screen for changes that may be associated with lymphoma. It’s not a diagnostic test, but it can help flag when something doesn’t look quite right and needs a closer look.

Right now, it’s most useful for detecting lymphoma, and it’s continuing to evolve as we’re able to identify additional cancers, including mast cell tumors. It doesn’t detect every type of cancer, but it gives us another way to pick up on changes earlier, often before pets are showing signs at home.

These newer tests don’t replace our standard diagnostics, but they do add another layer of information, helping us identify potential concerns earlier and guide next steps more thoughtfully.

Not every pet needs every test, and recommendations are always based on the individual patient, age, breed, history, and what we’re seeing on exam and routine lab work.

Which Dogs May Benefit from Earlier Screening

While all dogs benefit from routine screening as they age, some may benefit from starting earlier.

In general, we recommend:

Screening for most dogs starting around 7 years of age

Earlier screening, around 4 years, for certain higher-risk breeds

Some of the breeds we consider higher risk include:
Beagle
Bernese Mountain Dog
Boston Terrier
Boxer
Bullmastiff
Pug
Doberman Pinscher
English Bulldog
Flat-Coated Retriever
French Bulldog
German Shepherd
Golden Retriever
Irish Wolfhound
Labrador Retriever
Miniature Schnauzer
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Rottweiler
Scottish Deerhound
Scottish Terrier
Shar-Pei
Siberian Husky
Weimaraner

Not every dog within these breeds will develop cancer, and not every dog needs early screening. This is simply one of the factors we consider when making individualized recommendations.

Why Earlier Often Means Easier

One of the biggest benefits of early detection is that it can make things simpler, for both pets and their families.

When we identify concerns earlier:

Pets are often still feeling well
Treatment options tend to be less invasive
Monitoring and management can be more straightforward
And in many cases, addressing a problem earlier can also be less costly than managing more advanced disease later on.

Our Approach

Our goal isn’t to over-test or over-treat.

It’s to be thoughtful and proactive, using the tools available to us to better understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and to intervene at the right time.

Every pet is different, and part of our job is helping you decide what level of screening makes the most sense for your individual pet and your goals for their care.

If You’re Not Sure Where to Start

If you’ve ever wondered:

“Does my pet really need bloodwork every year?”
“Is screening still important if they seem healthy?”
“When should we be doing more advanced testing?”

You’re not alone, these are some of the most common questions we get.

We’re always happy to talk through what’s appropriate for your pet and help you make a plan that feels right.

Early detection isn’t about looking for problems, it’s about giving us the opportunity to care for them sooner, more gently, and more effectively.

And ultimately, that’s what allows our pets to stay healthier and feel better for longer.