Bloodwork is a good idea,even when your dog is young and 'healthy' because, as Malady said, it gives your vet a base-line from which to work, normal ranges for your dog.
Also, don't want to cause any problems but, lip-licking, if seen with other signs such as hyper-salivating can indicate nausea.

No problems here.

How about this version.

I think that is a pretty good version, good update. Would you consider blood work Stormy for your two?

Personally I think that if my dogs/animals look healthy (all of the attributes previously mentioned in this thread) and don't behave in a way which would make me think they were ill then I'm quite happy to believe they're healthy.

After all how many of you are in absolute tip top condition?

I eat crap, have a stressful job, drink far too much and have passive smoked all my life. I'm probably very unhealthy, but I'm quite happy!

I can understand wanting to prevent ill health, but putting your dog through having blood taken regularly is very unnecessary IMO. I give my dogs the best of everything, this, for me, is enough to asure me their in the best health possible (along with a yearly health check, which is more than I get!).

Probably not, Star has tests all the time to make sure everything is ok. I dont see any reason to have the others done unless there is cause to do so. More so when Jake is scared of the vets and it does stress him.

Moxie has a sleek soft haircoat, bright clear eyes, cold wet nose, strong lean muscles, "clean" even energy, bright white teeth, fresh breath, normal regular stools. In addition, her hearth and lungs auscult normal, her abdomen palpates normal and her yearly labwork, and physical exam are all within normal ranges. So yes, my dog is healthy.

I think you both have valid points, stress is a negative thing for dogs.
However you can probably see why doing something against the current grain (feeding raw/natural) would make one want to be certain that she is not doing anything that might harm the long term health of her dog. (Even though her secret mission would be to use the health test as even more postive swaying power that natural is best*)

*subject to my own biased opinion of course!

One question on the blood work.

I know nothing about it in dogs and it is not something I have ever even considered having done on our dogs as none of them have ever had the need to.

My OH Dave has a blood disorder so I do know a fair bit about it in humans. He has blood taken and tested weekly. The thing is his results vary greatly each week. He has hemochromatosis which is an iron overload but as they take 500mg each week they have to fully test his blood incase the amount of blood taken affects anything. Any little thing can alter blood results down to a slight cold or what he has eaten and when. Stress and weather can also contribute to different results.

So my question is how can one lot of blood tests give completely accurate results?

Dogs are fed pretty much the same, and their lives are very regulated, with routines, no work as such, etc, which differs greatly to a humans life, I dont think you can really compare the two, and as they have difference levels chemically than humans and cats even !! it would be hard to compare why !

As I said, I had more than one done initially, but with any new dog, I would have 1 done at a normal time, when there were no strains, nothing new, regularly fed the same, health, vibrant etc and if it was all ok, maybe anther a while later for comparison, and then leave it, until if another was needed at a later date.

Thank you