It’s often said that dogs are man’s friend and while that may certainly be true, the same can be said for all pets in the United States.
It is estimated that between 70-80 million dogs and 74-96 cats are owned in the United States. According to a poll from PetFinder.com, 63 percent of dog owners and 58 percent of people with cats give their pets Christmas presents. In addition to the high numbers of cats and dogs owned in the United States, two million people own horses.
For all the comfort and companionship that cats, dogs, horses and other pets provide, it’s important to take care of them when they get sick. While a routine checkup can give a veterinarian a general idea of your pet’s heath, diagnostic testing can help them find out if something more serious is going on.
The veterinary diagnostics market is expected to reach more than $3 billion by 2022 and provides an important service when it comes to animal health. Internationally, the veterinary diagnostics market is expected to grow too.
An annual examination can help diagnose common issues in pets, but advanced diagnostics can help identify more worrisome issues.
In horses, the veterinary diagnostics market and veterinary diagnostics testing can help key in on serious issues such as equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV).
When horses are exposed to it, they may develop severe acute signs of the disease and die within two to three weeks. One fifth of a teaspoon of blood from a chronic case of EIAV during a feverish episode contains enough virus to infect 10,000 horses. Most horses are unapparent carriers of the disease and show no overt clinical abnormalities as a result of infection.
In dogs and cats, one of the most common aliments is heartworm. Treatment for it can cost up to $1,000 and one million dogs are estimated to be heartworm positive in the United States each year.
Infected dogs may have 30 or more worms in their heart and lungs while cats have six or fewer. The severity of the disease is related to the number of worms in dogs, but just a few can make a cat ill.
Diseases like EIAV and heartworm illustrate the importance of veterinary diagnostics and the veterinary diagnostics market. Diagnostic testing such as blood work can help veterinarians track a pet’s health and help treat them if and when health changes occur late in life.
Blood work is also important for older animals who may be sick or have a disease long before any outward signs are apparent. Diagnostic testing can identify disease and help to monitor changes in the body such as the breakdown of major organs and the body’s response to any kind of medication.
Additional testing on things like urine and feces can help identify and help eliminate parasites and can help recognize health problems before they occur. If a certain dog breed is prone to a certain disease, testing can help identify symptoms early so the animal can get treatment.
Veterinary diagnostics and the veterinary diagnostics market plays a vital role in the health of animals. A heartworm test, an antigen heartworm test, a parvo test or an equine infectious anemia virus test can go a long way in helping ensure the long term health of your pet, so don’t hesitate to have tests done if something doesn’t seem right with your furry friend.