Laboratory testing accentuates our physical examination findings, to provide a more complete picture of your pet's health. Laboratory testing is another way we help to keep your pet well. Read on to learn about our laboratory services:
In-House Testing Provides Fast and Accurate Answers.
We understand when your pet is sick a day is too long to wait for results. Our sophisticated laboratory equipment allows us to run a variety of tests with same day results. In house testing means that you don't have to wait for answers…and your pet doesn't have to wait for treatment. The following tests can be performed quickly and accurately in our facility:
- Complete Blood Count: red and white blood cell counts and platelet estimation
- Bio-Chemistry: comprehensive panels including kidney, liver, and pancreatic values, pre-anesthetic panels
- Urinalysis: chemical and sedimentation analysis
- Cardiac: blood pressure evaluation and electrocardiogram
- Ocular: tonometry for glaucoma
- Immunological Testing: feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus
- Endocrinology: liver function, adrenal disease, thyroid function, and glucose monitoring
- Parasitology: intestinal parasites, canine and feline heartworm disease, dermatological mites
- Imaging: radiology and ultrasound
Annual Testing Helps Keep Your Pet Healthy.
Routine testing keeps us one step ahead of illness. Cats and Dogs need to be tested annually for exposure to heartworm disease and intestinal parasites.
- Idexx 4-DX Snap tests accurately detects if your pet is infected with heartworms (spread by infected mosquitoes) and/or lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis (three tick-borne diseases).
- Zinc Sulfate Centrifugation greatly increases the chances of identifying intestinal parasite infections. This method is preferred to the more commonly used passive flotation methods.
Senior Pets
Senior pets (7 years and older) need regular laboratory testing to screen for early signs of illness. Early detection is the best way to keep our senior pets healthy. Our Golden Rewards program includes age and species specific testing recommendations. Minimally, all senior pets should undergo the following tests annually:
- CBC (Complete Blood Count)
- Chemistry (a detailed panel of tests including liver and kidney values)
- Thyroid screening
- Urinalysis including a specific gravity
For more information on laboratory testing: www.healthypet.com
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: My pet is on heartworm prevention year round, why do I need to have him tested every year?
A:
- We follow the guidelines put forth by the American Heartworm Society. The guidelines recommend yearly testing to assure infected animals the best chance for successful treatment with minimal long term effects.
- Although heartworm preventatives are nearly 100% effective, there still exists a chance your pet can become infected with heartworms.
- Everyone makes mistakes. We commonly hear "I thought my husband gave it last month", or "My wife takes care of that".
- The manufacturers of commonly used heartworm preventatives guarantee the effectiveness of their products. This means that they will pay 100% of the veterinary care associated with the treatment of heartworm disease if the infected animal has been on preventative year round and tested once yearly for infection.
Q: Why does the receptionist ask me to bring in a fecal sample if you can just get one when we are there?
A: Our method of testing for intestinal parasites, zinc sulfate centrifugation, is more effective at diagnosing an infection. A larger sample is necessary to maximize the chances of detecting an intestinal parasite. The method for obtaining a sample in our clinic only provides a small amount of feces for testing.
Q: Why do the results for some tests seem to take longer than others?
A: Tests we run in house provide same day results. However, some tests cannot be run in our clinic and are sent out to a reference laboratory specializing in veterinary testing. If your pet's test is run at the reference lab, results are available within 1-5 days, depending on the complexity of the test run and the laboratory it was sent.