The Benefits of Laboratory Testing for Pets
Village Vet uses in-house lab equipment for more expedient testing to help sick or injured pets. We also work with external labs to conduct comprehensive, routine screening tests. Routine lab tests are vital to understanding what’s going on inside your pet and detecting potential issues at the earliest stage possible. Furthermore, testing gives us a more complete profile and medical history of your companion, which also helps us provide appropriate, effective treatment.
Some of the routine tests we recommend for dogs and cats:
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Comprehensive blood panel
- Heartworm test
- Fecal exam
- Tick-borne disease testing
When Would My Pet Need an X-ray or Ultrasound?
When blood work is insufficient to give us the information, we need to diagnose your pet properly, we might turn to digital radiography or ultrasound. Our doctors and technicians perform these non-invasive procedures with your pet’s comfort in mind, and are able to obtain high-quality images of potential problem areas quickly.
We might recommend X-rays if your pet has a chronic cough, is having breathing difficulties, or possibly has a broken bone or inflamed joint. We can also check for foreign bodies.
Ultrasound focuses on the soft-tissue organs, and provides real-time, moving images to show us the size, shape, texture, and blood supply of the abdominal organs. We can use ultrasound to look for tumors, cysts, fluid in the abdominal cavity, pregnancies, and more.