Pet Care Articles
Plain-language guides to lab results, records and everyday care.
- Pet Medication Tracker: App vs Spreadsheet vs Paper
A pet medication tracker is a dated log of every dose, refill, and reaction. Here's how app, spreadsheet, and paper compare — and which one fits your household.
- Dog Vaccination Records: What to Keep + Free Printable
A dog vaccination record is the short list of shots, dates, and next-due reminders you keep for your own reference — what to keep, why rabies records matter, and a free printable pet vaccination record.
- Cat Health Record Template — Free Printable
A cat health record printable free to download: one page for vaccines, medications, lab results, and visit dates, so every vet visit starts with the full picture.
- Pet Sitter Instructions: Free Template + What Sitters Actually Need
A free pet sitter instructions template plus the details sitters actually need — feeding, medication, vet contacts, and routine — so you can leave home without the guesswork.
- How Much Does Blood Work Cost for Cats & Dogs?
Typical cat blood test cost in the US, what dog urinalysis adds, and the factors that move blood work prices — so you can compare quotes without paying for tests you don't need.
- How to Get Your Pet's Vet Records (and Keep Them in One Place)
Most vet records are one phone call, portal request, or signed form away — including vaccine certificates and lab reports from chains like Banfield and Vetco. Here's how to get copies of your pet vet records online, what to ask for, and how to keep every page in one place.
- Hypothyroidism in Dogs (Low Thyroid): Symptoms, Causes & What to Track
Hypothyroidism in dogs (low thyroid) is a treatable hormone shortage that causes weight gain, tiredness, and coat changes. Here's how vets confirm it and what to track between visits.
- How to Organize Pet Records When You See Multiple Vets
Pet records are the running story of your pet's health — and when a dog or cat sees more than one vet, those records often sit in separate files that don't talk to each other. Here's a simple master-record system: what to track, what to request from each clinic, and how to close the gaps so every vet sees the same history.
- Reticulocytes and Anemia in Dogs: What High and Low Counts Mean
A reticulocyte count in dogs shows whether the bone marrow is responding to anemia. Merck (2026) cites a regenerative response as more than 60,000 reticulocytes/µL in dogs, though labs set their own cutoffs — and if counts stay low next to a low hematocrit, the anemia is likely non-regenerative, or the sample was taken less than 3–5 days after onset (Merck, 2026; eClinPath). Here's how vets read high and low counts, what causes each pattern, and when to call.
- Proteinuria in Dogs: What Protein in Urine Means
Proteinuria in dogs means protein is showing up in the urine — and one positive test is not a diagnosis. Vets confirm it with repeat tests about two weeks apart and quantify it with a urine protein-to-creatinine (UPC) ratio, where dogs above 0.5 are classified as proteinuric (IRIS, 2026). Here's what causes protein to show up, from temporary factors to kidney disease, and what your vet checks next.
- Low Platelets in Dogs (Thrombocytopenia): Symptoms, Causes & What to Watch For
Thrombocytopenia in dogs — low platelets — means a platelet count below the lab's reference range, commonly cited in dogs as about 175,000–500,000 platelets per microliter (VCA, 2025). Many dogs have no signs at all, and spontaneous bleeding usually doesn't appear until counts fall below roughly 30,000/µL (Merck, 2026). Here's what causes it, how vets tell a real drop from a sample artifact, and what the workup looks like.
- Purina Pro Plan vs Blue Buffalo: What the Labels Actually Say
Purina Pro Plan vs Blue Buffalo, label first: we compare the two specific adult recipes — Complete Essentials Shredded Blend Chicken & Rice and Life Protection Formula Chicken & Brown Rice — on dry-matter protein and fat, cost per 1,000 kcal, AAFCO wording, formulation claims and recall history. Public sources only; snapshot October 2026.
- Dog Blood Types & Blood Typing Tests: What Owners Should Know
Blood typing in dogs maps out the DEA antigens on your dog's red blood cells — and DEA 1 is the antigen vets check first, with roughly 33–65% of dogs testing DEA 1-positive depending on region (Merck, 2026). Here's how a dog blood type test works, when vets order one, what it costs, and what typing still can't tell you.
- At-Home Urine Test Strips for Dogs & Cats: What They Can and Can't Tell You
At-home urine test strips for dogs and cats are screening tools, not diagnostic tests — and the infection pads (leukocyte esterase, nitrite) plus the specific-gravity pad are considered not valid in animals. We compare CheckUp, VetStix 11SG and human Multistix 10 SG on parameters, per-strip cost, storage and limits (snapshot: October 2026).
- Glucose Meters for Diabetic Cats: AlphaTRAK 3 vs PetTest vs a Human Meter
A blood glucose meter for cats isn't a one-size pick — AlphaTRAK 3 and PetTest are calibrated for pets, while human meters like CONTOUR NEXT are not. Here's how the three compare on price, sample size, accuracy research, and daily use (snapshot: October 2026).
- Senior Dog Blood Panels: What They Check & What to Watch
A senior dog blood panel is routine screening for older dogs — usually a CBC, a blood chemistry panel, and a urinalysis. Here's what each result means, why high ALP and urine protein get flagged, and what panels typically cost.
- Cat Kidney Disease: Early Signs, Stages & What to Track at Home
Cat kidney disease is common in senior cats, and early signs — more drinking, more urination, slow weight loss — are easy to miss. Here's what the IRIS stages mean and what's worth tracking at home.
- Pancreatitis in Dogs: Symptoms, Causes & What to Ask Your Vet
Pancreatitis in dogs symptoms — repeated vomiting, a hunched posture, appetite loss — explained in plain English, plus the common causes of pancreatitis in dogs, how vets confirm it, and the questions to ask your vet.
- Dog Blood Test Cost: What to Expect
Wondering what a dog blood test costs? Here's what a CBC, a chemistry panel, and common add-ons typically run in the US — plus what changes the price and how to plan ahead.
- Dog Blood Test Results Explained: The Complete Guide
Dog blood test results explained in plain English: how to read the values and H/L flags on your lab report, what the CBC and chemistry panel actually measure, which patterns vets watch for, and when a result needs a vet's attention.
- Pancreatic and GI Testing in Pets: Lipase, cPL, TLI, and Fecal Panels Explained
Vomiting and diarrhea are among the most common reasons pets visit the vet — and among the hardest to pin down. Here is how digestive tests narrow the possibilities.
- Urinalysis Decoded: pH, Protein, Crystals, and What Your Vet Sees Under the Microscope
Urinalysis is the most underrated test in veterinary medicine. It is cheap, quick, and often the first place a kidney, bladder, or hormonal problem becomes visible.
- Electrolytes in Pets: Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, and What Their Balance Means
Electrolytes are the quiet machinery behind every heartbeat and nerve signal. Learn what sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium tell your vet.
- Thyroid Testing in Pets: T4, Free T4, and TSH — Hyperthyroidism in Cats, Hypothyroidism in Dogs
The same hormone panel points in opposite directions depending on species. Here is how veterinarians untangle thyroid disease in cats and dogs.
- Diabetes Monitoring in Pets: Glucose, Fructosamine, and What Curves Really Show
Blood glucose is just the beginning. Learn how veterinarians combine glucose curves, fructosamine, urine testing, and ketone checks to manage canine and feline diabetes.
- Kidney Values 101: BUN, Creatinine, SDMA, and Urine Specific Gravity
Kidney panels contain four interlocking pieces. Knowing how BUN, creatinine, SDMA, and urine concentration fit together helps you understand early kidney disease.
- Liver Enzymes Explained: What ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT Mean in Dogs and Cats
Liver values are among the most misunderstood numbers on a blood panel. Learn which enzyme signals which problem — and why one high value is rarely a diagnosis.
- Platelets and Clotting Tests in Dogs and Cats: PT, aPTT, and Bleeding Workups
Bruises, nosebleeds, and unexplained bleeding all lead to the same first step: a platelet count and coagulation panel. Here is what those tests measure and why both matter.
- White Blood Cell Differential in Pets: What Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, and Eosinophils Mean
The WBC total tells you something is happening. The differential tells you what kind of something — here is how veterinarians read each cell type.
- Complete Blood Count for Pets: Reading HCT, HGB, RBC, WBC, and Platelets
A plain-English guide to the CBC — the most common blood test in veterinary medicine — and what each number can, and cannot, tell you about your dog or cat.