Examples of Diagnostic Testing

A variety of testing may be recommended in order to better evaluate a sick pet, discover underlying causes of illness, or achieve baseline readings for disease prevention.  Our doctors will thoroughly explain these tests to you if they are recommended and estimates of cost are available upon request.  You are a very valuable member of your pet's healthcare team and we invite any questions you may have while your pets are in our care. 
Examples of testing available at our clinic:

Eye health tests:
Tonopen - used for glaucoma screenings
Eye stain - used to evaluate the cornea for ulcers
Schirmer tear testing - for tear production analysis

Blood Testing:
Screening bloodwork can be done in clinic while expanded blood testing is sent to a nationally recognized laboratory.
Complete Blood Count (CBC) - used to evaluate the quantity and quality of oxygen carrying red blood cells, immune system cells, and blood clotting platelets. 
Serum Chemistry - assesses the function of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, blood sugar, & electrolytes.
Thyroid Hormone Level - assess for common aging disorders.
Specialized tests are recommended on a case-by-case basis.

Digital X-rays: 
Digital x-rays offer a higher quality image in a fraction of the time compared to regular x-ray film.  These films are evaluated by our doctors in the clinic, but can also be quickly transferred to referral hospitals, emergency clinics, or veterinary consultants. 

Urine Testing:
A variety of chemical tests as well as direct evaluation of a urine sample can assess for kidney disease, urinary tract infection, urine crystals, and a variety of metabolic disorders. 

Dermatology testing:
Ringworm culture - identifies contagious fungal infection
Skin scrape - allows for diagnosis of microscopic skin parasites 
Skin cytology - identifies skin infection, inflammatory conditions, and tumors.  Also used to evaluate treatment success.
Allergy testing - used to help formulate hyposensitization injections for allergy treatment

Miscellaneous In House Testing: 
Other tests may include:  blood sugar checks, canine heartworm test, stool checks for intestinal parasites, feline leukemia and FIV tests, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram.