Our clinic contains an "In-house" labratory enabling us to provide immediate results on many laboratory tests rather than having to wait for transportation to an outside labratory.
A broad range of in-house labratory tests and procedure are possible with our modern diagnostic equipment.

Our laboratory plays a vital role on maintaining the health and well being of your pet. Our technicians routinely perform a wide variety of blood and urine profiles with specific attention to the diseases that effect animals.

For the critically ill pet, a blood chemistry and hematology profile are completed within 5-10 minutes. These sensitive instruments offer highly accurate results of tests used to diagnose or evaluate a the following things:

• Pre-anesthetic risk
• Blood count
• Clotting function
• Kidney function
• Hydration Infection
• Liver function

Other common tests that are performed include:

Urinalysis - This is a comprehensive test of a pet's urine. It requires a dipstick to be evaluated, concentration of the urine recorded, and the sample spun for 10 -15 minutes. Then the sediment of the spun urine is stained and evaluated by an experienced veterinary technician under the microscope.

Fungal culture - Small pieces of skin scales or hairs are collected and laced on a special culture medium. These tests are evaluated every three days for three weeks. A specific growth or color change of the medium is then confirmed by microscopic examination.

Cytology - Ear swabs, skin swabs, and needle aspirates are just a few of the things we stain and evaluate under the microscope. Ear cytology slides are evaluated for the presence or absence of bacteria or yeast helping us to select the right medication for the pets ear infection. Needle aspirate slides of cysts or masses are evaluated for atypical cells that may indicate a fungal infection or cancer.

Fecal analysis - A flotation technique is used to evaluate the presence of roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms in our patients. This technique allows us to find eggs of these worms even if they are present in a low number. A gram stain or direct fecal test are commonly done in our patients with diarrhea. We use these test to look for an overgrowth of bacteria or other protozoan parasites.

Other tests that are available:

• heartworm testing (usually for dogs that have been in heartworm endemic area)
• feline leukemia testing
• feline aids testing