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.

Many of our customers have animals with chronic conditions.  Often, these dogs and cats require more frequent check-ups and tests by their veterinarians to monitor their health.

We always love it when a long-time (or new!) customer emails us to let us know the results of the most recent vet visit.  We received such an email this morning from a customer who’s dog is monitored for recurring kidney stones. She will be going for an ultrasound tomorrow.

It’s always interesting to hear what treatment protocols people are finding helpful.  This can be helpful too, when someone’s animal is newly diagnosed with a similar condition.

Since most of our customers order online, there isn’t a lot of personal contact, but it is always nice when someone lets us know, even in just a few words, how helpful ThePetCheckup has been for them.

A long-time customer from MI with 2 dogs has been reordering refills regularly and placed a new refill order today:

“Love the product — use it all the time and it works!!”

Yup, it does work and it’s always nice to have feedback from our customers.

On the Sirius pet radio show last week, Dr. Shawn asked me about our customers and I told him one of the best things was hearing the feedback on how our product is helping to protect the health of people’s pets.

This comment that came this morning is about actually saving a cat’s life:

“I love ThePetCheckup. You’ve literally saved my cat’s life. Having a method for early detection of a bladder infection is so helpful. Thank you for making this great product!” SM, CT

I just wanted to let you know that your product is wonderful.

I always tell my veterinarians about it and hope that they will incorporate it into their businesses.  It’s such a nice feeling to take extra care with your pet,  and it’s an easy thing to do between routine veterinary visits.

MB, Boston, MA

One of our repeat customers asked about shipping ThePetCheckup refills during their  hot Texas weather.  They were concerned that the extreme temperatures might affect the accuracy of the test results.

While urine reagent test strips can be affected by very extreme heat such as a direct blast from a heat seal gun, TPC strips will not be affected by weather.  The special packaging of each test strip ensures their accuracy for home testing.

This packaging was critical in the development of the product.

Veterinarians rely on the information you provide them to help protect your pet’s good health. Using ThePetCheckup monthly between routine exams may help you and your veterinarian catch small problems before they become big problems.

Also, just like us, our pet’s bodies vary regarding what is “normal” for each individual animal. Results from ThePetCheckup along with your observations of your animal’s behavior will help your veterinarian establish a baseline picture of what represents “normal” good health for your own animal companion.  And by continuing with the simple test each month, you will be able to see if the test results vary from the baseline information.

Another one of our customers called this week to thank us for ThePetCheckup.

They were surprised to find that the test showed blood in their dog Emma’s urine. It was a moderate amount and after taking Emma to the vet, the diagnosis was a urinary tract infection. Because ThePetCheckup catches potential illnesses before symptoms appear, they were able to catch it very early and the treatment should be simple and effective.

Urinary tract infections in both dogs and cats are really common…wish there were some statistics to see if the numbers may be increasing. I know Kate had one awhile back…the only illness that she has ever had since she was rescued almost 2 years ago.

There are other causes for a positive test result for blood….stones, tumor, internal injuries–or even something as relatively harmless as chewing some tough grass that caused an irritation to the lining of the digestive system.

The important point is that blood is not normal in the urine and should always be checked out by a veterinarian.