Diagnostic Services
Radiographs (X-Rays)
Radiographs (x-rays) are extremely helpful for diagnosing and monitoring many medical and surgical conditions. X-rays are useful in examining your pet's bones, lungs, heart, abdomen, oral cavity and other areas of the body. An x-ray can spot a fractured bone, detect cancerous tumors, diagnose heartworm disease and locate an obstruction or foreign body in your pet's stomach or intestine. When used in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures like ultrasound, x-rays can accurately diagnose problems, making your pet's surgery less traumatic and complicated.
We have recently purchased a new, state-of-the-art, digital radiology machine. Compared to x-rays produced by a traditional machine, the quality of digital radiographs is much better. The time spent taking your pets' radiographs is significantly shortened and fewer x-rays are needed to achieve diagnostic-quality results. If your pet's radiographs needs to be sent to a radiology specialist, digitally produced x-rays can be sent immediately via email.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a valuable, non-invasive imaging procedure that complements x-rays and allows our veterinarians to better visualize internal organs in the chest and abdomen. During an ultrasound, high-frequency sound-waves are directed into the body and bounce off the organs, creating a computer image of the inside of the body. This painless diagnostic technique is usually done without sedation of your pet.
Ultrasound is invaluable for making treatment decisions for various types of heart disease. It also allows us to biopsy organs such as the liver and kidney through a tiny "keyhole" incision. Using the ultrasound image as a guide, surgical biopsies can be obtained without major surgery and your pet can often go home the same day.
Endoscopy
Endoscopy means "looking inside" and refers to looking inside the body for medical purposes. The instrument used for this procedure is called an endoscope.
Endoscopy is a minimally invasive, diagnostic, medical procedure commonly used to evaluate the interior surfaces of an organ by inserting a small tube into the body. Through the endoscope, the observer is able to view lesions on organs and other internal medical conditions.
In veterinary medicine, endoscopy is commonly used for tissue and organ biopsies, to remove foreign objects (particularly in the stomach) or get an inside view of a particular part of your pet's body. Even though anesthesia is required to keep your pet still during the endoscopic procedure, compared to a traditional surgical procedure, the amount of anesthesia and recovery time is greatly reduced. Endoscopy is often indicated when routine blood and urine tests, radiographs and / or ultrasound do not give the complete diagnostic picture.
The endoscope is composed of a long tube (flexible or rigid), a light source, camera and viewing eyepiece. In addition to the fiber optic light source, there are two channels within in the tube. One channel is for passing forceps, snares or biopsy instruments, allowing for the removal of foreign objects, collection of biopsy samples and removal of small polyps or tumors. Air or water can be passed through the other channel for better viewing of the tissue or organ. Compared to traditional surgery, the benefits of endoscopy include shortened anesthesia time, decreased inflammation, less physiologic stress and discomfort and an earlier return to normal function. Even though general anesthesia is required for an endoscopic procedure, it is still considered much less invasive than traditional surgery due to the relatively short procedure time and low occurrence of complications.
Laboratory Testing
Since your sick pet cannot tell us what is wrong, veterinarians must sometimes supplement physical exams with sophisticated diagnostic testing. Our hospital is equipped with a complete, sophisticated diagnostic laboratory that allows us to measure more than 100 laboratory values, with results often available in a few minutes. In addition, we work with several outside referral labs if your pet requires specialized testing.
Along with heartworm testing, complete blood count, blood-chemistry panel, urinalysis and fecal examination are the most common laboratory tests performed at our hospital. Below are short descriptions of each test.
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
CBC measures the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in a sample of blood. The numbers of each type of cell provides information to help diagnose anemia, infections and leukemia. If your pet is undergoing treatment for a condition, a complete blood count can help your veterinarian monitor how your pet is responding to the treatment.
Blood-Chemistry Panel (Chem)
A blood-chemistry panel measures electrolytes, enzymes and chemical elements of your pet's blood. Included in a Chem profile are important components such as calcium and phosphorous levels, liver enzymes, glucose and total protein. These measurements help your veterinarian determine how your pet's organs, such as kidneys, pancreas and liver, are functioning. Blood-chemistry panels help diagnose and treat illness, as well as monitor your pet's response to treatment. A Blood-Chemistry Panel is usually performed to screen for potential problems and risks before anesthesia is administered.
Fecal Examination (Fecal)
Your veterinarian may examine your pet's feces under a microscope for clues about many different kinds of diseases, including difficulties with digestion, internal bleeding and pancreas disorders. Most importantly, fecal examination confirm the presence of intestinal parasites, including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, tapeworm and giardia. A fecal examination is part of your pet's wellness examination.
Urinalysis (UA)
Laboratory testing of your pet's urine can help detect the presence of specific substances that normally do not appear in urine, including protein, sugar, white blood cells or blood. Measuring the dilution or concentration of urine can also help your veterinarian diagnose illness. Urinalysis can be helpful in diagnosing urinary tract infections, diabetes, dehydration, kidney problems and other medical conditions.