The conversation around wellness screening is changing fast, and Vet Times’ recent piece on everyday practice makes a clear point: preventive testing is no longer a futuristic idea, but a practical question of workflow, trust, and value in general practice. Zytca Animal Health is working to meet that moment with diagnostics designed to make proactive care more affordable, more accessible, and more clinically actionable in a single visit.
A shift from reactive to proactive care
For years, much of veterinary medicine has been reactive: we test when a patient is clearly unwell, then try to work backwards from there. The Vet Times article interviewing Dr Rory Cowlam, highlights a growing appetite for wellness screening, but also the real-world barriers of cost, confidence, and client communication that still hold it back. That is where better in-clinic diagnostics matter, because they can move testing from “nice to have” to something that fits naturally into everyday consultations.
Zytca’s vision aligns closely with that shift. The company’s UlfaQ™ range is built around rapid molecular testing at the point of care, with results available in roughly 30-40 minutes, helping veterinarians make decisions while the patient is still in the clinic. In practical terms, that means fewer delays, fewer repeat visits, and a clearer path from test result to treatment plan.
Why faecal screening matters
One of the most important opportunities in wellness screening is gastrointestinal disease. Not every diarrhoea case needs antibiotics, and better faecal screening can help veterinarians distinguish patients that are more likely to benefit from supportive care alone from those where targeted treatment is justified. That matters for antimicrobial stewardship, but it also matters for client confidence, because owners increasingly want a clear explanation of why a treatment is or is not being recommended.
Zytca is developing solutions that support that decision-making by helping clinicians assess whether infectious causes are present and whether parasite burden is likely to be contributing to signs. Panels that indicate endoparasitic burden could also help identify cases where antiparasitic treatment is appropriate, while avoiding unnecessary treatment in patients who do not need it. That makes the consultation more precise and more defensible, which is exactly what modern practice needs.
Confidence, cost and the one-visit model
The Vet Times discussion also touches on a wider issue in practice: confidence. When vets feel under pressure and clients are wary of costs, diagnostic decisions can become harder than they should be. A test that is affordable, fast, and easy to explain can change that dynamic by giving the clinician something tangible to show and discuss with the owner during the same appointment.
That is where Zytca’s tablet-based workflow is particularly relevant. A result that can be displayed in-clinic and used immediately in the consultation helps support treatment decisions on the spot, reducing unnecessary delay and helping owners understand the clinical reasoning behind the recommendation. It also supports a one-visit model, which can reduce total cost, improve convenience, and potentially increase the chance that treatment starts promptly and succeeds.
AniPath and the pathology gap
Zytca’s innovation is not limited to point-of-care testing. The company is also developing AniPath™, an AI pathology platform designed to support histopathology and cytology workflows, with the aim of helping address the global shortage of pathologists and improving turnaround times for diagnosis. That matters because faster reporting can directly affect treatment timing, especially in cases where early intervention improves outcome.
In a field where diagnostic delay can mean delayed treatment, tools that accelerate case review without removing professional oversight are increasingly important. AniPath is positioned as a way to reduce bottlenecks and make pathology support more scalable, which could be especially valuable for busy practices and regions with limited access to specialist interpretation. In that sense, it complements the wellness-testing model: one technology supports quicker bedside decisions, the other supports faster downstream confirmation and management.
What this means for practice
The bigger story is not just about individual tests; it is about a more connected model of veterinary care. If a practice can screen proactively, explain results clearly, and act during the same visit, it becomes easier to build trust and deliver better care. Zytca’s work is part of that broader movement, with tools aimed at making diagnostics more immediate, more affordable, and more useful in real clinical settings.
Wellness screening is likely to grow not because it sounds modern, but because it solves real problems. It gives clinicians better information, helps owners understand choices, and supports earlier treatment when it matters most. With technologies like UlfaQ and AniPath, Zytca is helping turn that idea into something practical for everyday veterinary medicine.
REFERENCE: A conversation on wellness screening in everyday practice
