A conversation on wellness screening in everyday practice

Preventive testing is deeply embedded in human health care, from routine check-ups and cancer screenings to vision and hearing tests. Yet within veterinary practice, equivalent wellness testing is far from the norm. With in‑clinic diagnostics becoming faster and more accurate, could this be the moment that “track and find out” replaces the “wait and see” approach?

Vet Times editor James Westgate sat down with Rory Cowlam, clinical director at Pickles and Co in Fulham, to discuss wellness screening, the role of AI‑enabled diagnostics, the challenges around cost and trust, and what it might take for proactive testing to become widely accepted in general practice.

Q: Preventive care isn’t new, but the technology enabling it has moved quickly. What’s changed in recent years?

A: The step up has been huge. A few years ago, we were taught that in‑house tests weren’t reliable and should always be confirmed externally. That’s simply not true anymore. With systems like Vetscan Imagyst, OptiCell, and VS2, vets can give owners a reliable snapshot of their pet’s health within half an hour.

Two major things have changed:

1. Accuracy: These AI‑assisted platforms are incredibly consistent compared to older reagent-based systems.
2. Predictability of cost: Each test is a single unit, so we know exactly what we’re spending, which makes pricing more transparent.

That opens the door to using bloodwork more proactively, but it also forces us to ask: how often is appropriate, and how do we communicate that responsibly to clients?

Q: Many pet owners pay for human wellness checks to gain peace of mind. Why isn’t wellness testing already standard in veterinary care?

A: A big part of it is trust. Right now, I think we’re at one of the lowest trust points between vets and clients that I’ve seen. If the profession suddenly announced that “good pet owners do annual blood tests”, it would isolate people further. Cost is also a real factor. We’re talking potentially a couple of hundred pounds a year; owners need to feel that’s genuinely worthwhile.

And honestly, we still need hard evidence. I believe in early detection, but I want data showing that, for example, wellness testing catches X% of early renal cases and extends lifespan by Y years. That’s the kind of evidence that changes behaviour, both clinically and commercially.

Q: Is the American model, where annual wellness screening is more common, a realistic direction for UK practice?

A: There’s definitely something to learn from it, but we shouldn’t copy‑and‑paste it. In the US, a dog over 10 is routinely screened every year. That makes sense to me, and I’d argue for earlier screening in cats where thyroid and renal issues emerge younger. But we need our own dataset,  UK breeds, UK lifespans, UK disease prevalence, to build proper age‑ and breed‑specific guidelines.

Q: AI still makes some vets nervous. How do you address that, and how confident are you in the technology?

A: AI is not going away; we should embrace it. Zoetis is working with huge datasets and partners like the Mayo Clinic. This isn’t “AI for the sake of AI”. It’s clinically useful.

In our practice, AI helps with:

• Manual cell counts
• Dermatological organism identification
• Urinary and faecal counts
• Cytology review via remote pathology
• Faster workflows and clearer reporting for clients

It’s not replacing the vet, it’s removing bottlenecks. I can now get cytology results certified by a pathologist within three hours, instead of seven days. That changes everything: I can remove a mast cell tumour tomorrow, not in two weeks.

Q: You mentioned communication and trust earlier. How does wellness testing fit into this challenge?

A: Communication is an issue in modern veterinary practice. Not prices, not policy, but communication. Every time a client moves to us from another clinic, 99 times out of 100, the reason is a breakdown in communication.

Wellness screening is a communication exercise as much as a clinical one. Owners need context:

• Why are we recommending this?
• What will it tell us?
• How will it help their pet in the long term?
• And crucially: what will it cost, and why?

If we’re transparent, people are receptive, especially millennial pet owners, who want data, want oversight, and want to feel part of their pet’s health journey.

Q: How can practices make wellness testing more accessible?

A: Three things:

1. Pricing realistically. If these tests become routine, they shouldn’t be used as high‑margin items. They should be accessible.
2. Improving workflow. The new tech helps massively; the footprint of our haematology machine is tiny, and anyone on the team can run it.
3. Reducing stress for the pet. For some animals, blood sampling is easy. For others, it’s not. We need low‑stress handling approaches and clear conversations with owners to minimise that emotional barrier.

Q: And finally, what’s your overall view? Is widespread wellness testing achievable?

A: Yes, with the right foundation. Early detection absolutely improves outcomes. But for wellness testing to be widely adopted, we need:

• Solid evidence
• Sensible pricing
• Clear communication
• Stress‑free workflows
• And transparent use of new technology

If we get those pieces right, then yes, this can be a huge win for pets, for owners, and for the profession.

Listen to the full conversation:

For the complete discussion between James Westgate and Rory Cowlam, including deeper insights into AI, practice workflows and early‑detection strategies, listen to the full Vet Times Extra podcast episode here or by listening below.

The views expressed in this conversation reflect the perspective of the guest and do not necessarily represent the position of Zoetis.