Skip to main content

Pet Insurance policies are underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company.

Can a senior dog panel help detect cancer?

Senior wellness lab work includes a chemistry panel to evaluate kidney and liver function, antibody and protein levels, blood sugar, cholesterol, electrolytes and more. Dr. Lee discusses their ability to aid in detecting cancer early.

Can a senior dog panel help detect cancer?

Q:My veterinarian recommends that Greta, my 8-year-old beagle, have senior wellness lab testing this year. Will the tests tell me if she has cancer?

A:Senior wellness lab work does not include tests that specifically prove a dog has or is free of cancer. However, certain abnormal test results raise the suspicion of cancer.

For example, Greta will have a complete blood count that measures red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Elevated levels of eosinophils, one type of white blood cell, are associated with cancer but also with parasites and allergies. A low red blood cell count, called anemia, also may suggest cancer.

Senior wellness lab work includes a chemistry panel to evaluate kidney and liver function, antibody and protein levels, blood sugar, cholesterol, electrolytes and more. On the chemistry panel, elevated calcium levels raise the suspicion of cancer.

Your veterinarian will probably do a urinalysis, part of which involves examining the urine under the microscope to look at, among other things, the cells that line the bladder. If they look abnormal or there are too many of them, your veterinarian may suspect bladder cancer.

Female beagles over 6 are at higher risk of bladder cancer than other dogs, so your veterinarian may also recommend testing Greta's urine for abnormal cells using the CADET BRAF test. If Greta's physical exam and lab results are normal, you and she can relax and enjoy your lives together.

Editor’s Note: About half of dogs over the age of ten will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Here we will highlight common cancer warning signs in dogs.


Lee Pickett, V.M.D. practices companion animal medicine in North Carolina. Contact her at vet@askthevet.pet.

Pattern Blue

Customized
by you

Design your pet’s plan in less than 60 seconds!

medium sized cat illustration
medium sized cat illustration
Cat illustration
Cat illustration
Cat illustration
Your Pet's Type
  • Instagram logo
  • facebook
  • tiktok
  • Twitter

No one is permitted to sell, solicit or negotiate an insurance policy without a producer license in the state in which the plan is sold, and all prospects should be directed to Figo Pet Insurance. The information contained in this website is for illustrative purposes only and coverage under any pet insurance policy is expressly subject to the conditions, restrictions, limitations, exclusions (including pre-existing conditions), and terms of the policy documentation issued by the insurer. Availability of this program is subject to each state’s approval and coverage may vary by state. Coverage underwritten by Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC), a Delaware Insurance Company, 11333 North Scottsdale Road Suite 160 Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Live Vet and the Figo Pet Cloud are separate non-insurance services unaffiliated with IAIC. Figo Pet Insurance's California license number is 0K02763. Figo Pet Insurance LLC is duly authorized to transact insurance in Puerto Rico (NPN: 16841904) in property, casualty, disability, health services, and life.

Copyright © 2015-2023 Figo Pet Insurance LLC. All rights reserved

Chat with an Expert