We have many customers who’s animals have recurrent bacterial infections.

Keeping a record of the pH values from the monthly home test is, of course, very valuable for them as it can show if the urine is becoming more acidic and creating a condition for crystals or stones to form.

But this is an important test result to watch for everyone as a sudden change in the result shows existing problems as well as potential future problems.

And if your dog or cat is on a special diet, it is easy to monitor how your animal is responding to the diet as times goes on.

The specific gravity (SG) reading measures the concentration of your dog or cat’s urine.

The range goes from 1.000 which is completely dilute (water) through 1.060 which is highly concentrated.

For cats, normal SG is considered between 1.015 and 1.060.  For dogs, the normal range is between 1.015 and 1.050.

If you test right after your dog or cat has had a large drink, the SG will be on the low end as the urine is more diluted.  If you test right after your dog has gone for a long run, the urine could be at the concentrated level.

Abnormal readings of SG can indicate some serious conditions however, such as thyroid, kidney, adrenal or diabetic conditions.

So test about the same time each day under similar conditions and record your results on the results page so you can see if there have been any changes over time.

Our intention has always been to make the kit as affordable as possible to dog and cat owners.

When we were first developing ThePetCheckup kit, we intended to include 6 complete tests in the kit and offer refills in quantities of 6, 12, and 24.

We had  a group of business students at Yale run some focus groups and  they found that many people were unfamiliar with urine testing and thought it would be difficult to do.  It’s actually very simple and once the group did their first test, they were totally comfortable with it.

Nonetheless, we decided to include 8 complete tests in the kit and  have been able to keep it that way since then.  It’s been a challenge with the cost of everything going up, so we’re quite proud of that.

I just noticed there have been many pet food recalls since the beginning of the year.

Here is a link to the FDA/Veterinary site where you can read up on them.  It’s quite a list — mostly dog and cat food, but there are some parakeet and other bird food recalls on there too.

Also, an organic food.

http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/RecallsWithdrawals/default.htm

Another nice testimonial from a customer today:

I have used ThePetCheckup for several years and it has proven most useful on several occasions. One of which was when one of my dogs behavior became unusually anxious and nervous. I decided to do a ThePetCheckup and discovered his pH was up significantly. A trip to his Vet confirmed that he’d likely had a reaction to a recent vaccine and an appropriate remedy was prescribed.

More recently, another of my dogs SG was lower than normal, but in the absence of any other serious symptoms. Once more an appt with his Vet confirmed a problem and a course of treatment was undertaken.
Thank You ThePetCheckup for a great product !

LB, Canada

Best Friends Animal Society has posted a wonderful update on their website about the dogs that were rescued from Michael Vick’s dog-fighting property 5 years ago.

Twenty-two of these dogs went to Best Friends where they were renamed the “Victory Dogs” and it is a pretty amazing story to read about their lives now.

Ten of them have already been adopted into loving homes and most of the others are working towards that goal in their own time.

Two of the dogs, Lucas and Meryl per court order will live their lives out at the shelter, and it is pretty wonderful to read about their lives now too.

You can read the rest of the article here:

http://bit.ly/14lhUwz

It’s really inspiring and quite amazing to know what their lives are like now.

Even the most caring and observant pet owners are sometimes taken by surprise to find out that their dog or cat has a serious illness  — and that it may have been coming on for some time.

That’s why it is so great to see that more and more pet owners are practicing preventative medicine and being more proactive with their pet’s healthcare.

Knowing your pet’s “normal” baseline provides great information.  Like us, dogs and cats can have their own “normal” that may vary somewhat from all the normal parameters on a home urine test.  This could be due to a specific diet they are eating ( if the diet is higher in protein, you may find that a trace value for protein is their normal).

The baseline can also vary depending on a wide variety of pre-existing conditions or previous health problems the animal experienced.  Any deviations from the baseline reading becomes very significant and provide important information to the observant pet owner! This is also information your veterinarian will want to be aware of as well.

ThePetCheckup is now endorsed by http://theanswervet.com/

TJ Dunn, DVM with 40 years experience oversees all the content on this site.  It is a great place for dog and cat owners to get information on their animal’s health.  Very content rich site.  Check it out!

“I’ve been practicing small animal medicine and surgery for forty years and when I saw what ThePetCheckup™ can do to help detect some common pet ailments I knew immediately that this home health detection kit was long overdue. For your peace of mind and your pet’s health, I recommend this easy, accurate and inexpensive way to check at home for early indicators of pet medical problems. This in-home health test kit for dogs and cats just may revolutionize pet health care awareness.”
— T. J. Dunn, Jr. DVM

People ask us how difficult it is to test their dog or cat’s urine at home and are genuinely surprised at how easy it is.

Really there are just 3 basic steps:

1.  Collecting a urine sample

2. Putting a drop of urine on each of the test pads

3. Reading and recording the results

We explain each step and the whole process takes just 5 minutes.  You will feel like a pro after your first test.