Disease Screening & Wellness Screening
When a pet is ill it is often challenging for a veterinarian to determine the underlying cause. Therefore, veterinarians rely heavily on diagnostic testing to properly identify problems and treat patients. Diagnostic screening is also used to evaluate the overall health of senior patients or patients about to undergo anesthesia.
Blood Tests
Blood work is the most common type of diagnostic testing that veterinarians perform. A small amount of blood from your pet can provide invaluable information about its overall health.
CBC
The CBC (complete blood cell count) is a blood test that tells the veterinarian about the number and condition of your pet’s red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells are important in carrying oxygen to all of the tissues of the body. When there is an abnormally low number of these cells, the pet is said to be anemic. Too many white blood cells can indicate infection. Too few platelets can indicate that the animal might have problems with blood clotting. If your pet needs a CBC, your veterinarian can thoroughly explain the results to you.
Blood Chemistry Panel
A blood chemistry panel provides information to the veterinarian about the patient’s internal organs and metabolic health. A chemistry panel typically includes tests that help screen for liver disease, kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and chloride levels are also assessed. Sometimes, a chemistry panel includes thyroid tests as well. A veterinarian can get a very good picture of your pet’s overall health through a blood chemistry panel.
Other Blood Tests We Do In-House
- Heartworm
- Feline Leukemia (FeLV) / Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
- K9 Pancreatic Lipase for Pancreatitis
- Target Progesterone for timing of breeding
- T4 (Total Thyroxine) for thyroid function in dogs and cats
Urine Analysis
A urine analysis is a useful diagnostic screening test for diseases in dogs and cats. There are several ways to collect a urine sample from companion animals. One is to simply catch a sample in a clean container. Depending on the health concerns involved, your veterinarian may prefer to collect a urine sample using a sterile catheter or by performing a cystocentesis (where a sterile needle is passed through the skin and into the bladder). These methods yield a very clean sample and are well tolerated by dogs and cats. With a small amount of urine, your veterinarian can tell a lot about your pet’s kidney function, or look for evidence of urinary crystals, urinary tract infection, or diabetes. Often, a urine analysis is performed along with a CBC and Chemistry panel to get a complete picture of your pet’s overall health. If we suspect an infection, we send a sample out for culture to identify the offending bacteria and determine the most effective treatment for it.
X-Rays (Radiography)
Radiographs or “X-Rays” allow a veterinarian to capture images of the bones and internal organs of your pet. Radiographs are very safe and can be easily taken with your pet lying still on an X-Ray table. Sometimes sedation is needed in order to get the necessary images. Radiographs can tell a veterinarian a lot about the structure of different parts of the body. There are many reasons why a veterinarian might recommend that radiographs be taken. Some of these include the evaluation of broken bones, looking for a foreign object that a patient may have swallowed, or diagnosing pregnancy. In addition, we do OFA and PennHip evaluations for canine hip dysplasia.
Fecal Exams
Fecal exams are used to detect the presence of intestinal parasites such as worms (hookworms, whipworms, roundworms and others) and protozoa (coccidia, giardia and others). We utilize centrifuge technology to maximize our chances of finding what ails your pet. We recommend that your pet has a fecal exam twice a year. If we suspect canine parvovirus or giardia, we have specified fecal tests for those too.
Ultrasound
We are capable of evaluating major abdominal organs – bladder, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, small intestines, and reproductive tract – plus some conditions involving the heart and chest cavity. Ultrasonography is often used in addition to radiography to get more complete information needed to diagnose your pet’s condition. For more specialized imaging involved in assessing adrenal glands, echocardiography and ultrasound-guided biopsy, we would refer you to the appropriate specialists in the Rochester area or Cornell University.
Fungal Cultures
If we suspect that a pet has ringworm, we can diagnose it by taking a sample from the skin and growing the organism in our lab.
In-House Cytology
Trying to figure out all those lumps and bumps we see on our pets can be stressful and tricky. We can take a needle sample of lumps, bumps and other tissues, make slides of them and evaluate them in our lab. In some cases, we may need to send slides out for a pathologist to examine or we may need to do a surgical biopsy.
Outside Labs
For diagnostic testing that we cannot do in-clinic, we utilize the diagnostic services of many different labs across the country. Some of the labs we utilize include Cornell University, Michigan State, University of Minnesota, Texas A&M University, and University of California Comparative Neuromuscular.
Electrocardiography
In some heart conditions, especially those with abnormal heart rhythms, the heart’s status often requires an electrocardiogram to assess the problem. Accurate diagnosis of the heart’s condition can lead to appropriate and successful treatment of your pet’s heart condition.
Endoscopy
We are equipped with a video otoscope for evaluating and treating ear diseases, a flexible endoscope for examining and treating certain GI problems, plus a rhinoscope for examing the nasal passages of medium sized to large dogs. These tools enable us to get into those hard-to-see places and visualize them on a video monitor. With specialized tools, we can take biopsies, perform minor surgery and retrieve the occasional foreign body from stomachs.