I have a basset hound who will be turning 8 in a few weeks.

We adopted her a year and a half ago, and she has lifelong skin issues. We’re at the dermatologist a few times a year for check-ups (hydrolyzed diet elimination trial, IDAT, ear infections, etc.).

This past summer she got her teeth cleaned and a few non-cancerous lumps removed from our primary veterinarian.

Given that she’s now technically a senior, I was thinking 2x a year bloodwork would be best to catch anything sooner rather than later. But, I also was the one to call and make the appointment versus our clinic recommending it. They said it’s totally fine to do, but insinuated it wasn’t super critical, since she’s very healthy (despite the dermatology issues).

In 2025, these were the tests ran at our primary clinic:

- January 2025, “Antech : Senior Wellness Profile 1 (SA705) + UA

- July 2025, “Antech : SA030 - VetScreen/SDMA/CBC”

In January 2026, I made a “Wellness: Senior Pet (7+ Years Old)” appointment which I assume they’ll rerun the SA705 panel again.

Since the SA030 was ran 6 months ago, is it “overkill” to run the senior profile so soon after? Or is this standard to do?

I just don’t want to over stress her as she isn’t a huge fan of the doctor, and along with her dermatologist, I feel we’re at the vets office multiple times a year, or to chase a slightly elevated level for it to be nothing.

Any advice or insight on best practices for this type of thing?

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  • Twice a year exams and bloodwork is what is ideal and recommended for older pets or those with chronic issues/medications. Can't say everyone does this, but when you live a shorter life lots of things can change in half a year.

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