Laboratory

Our staff depends on laboratory results in order to assess and understand the status of your pet's health. Lab work helps the veterinarian determine the presence of illness and rule out other concerns. Within our lab, our staff is capable of performing a variety of procedures including, CBCs (complete blood counts), blood chemistries, thyroid testing, blood parasite testing, FeLV/FIV testing, parvo testing, Giardia testing, microscopic examinations of ear swabs, and more. We also partner with outside laboratories for other laboratory results. 

Our Laboratory Recommendations: 

Fecal Testing: We recommend bringing in a fecal sample yearly to provide our veterinarian with information about the presence of intestinal parasites. Must be a fresh, properly stored sample for accurate testing.

Blood Parasite Screening: Heartworm Prevention/Testing: We recommend year round protection against Heartworm. If your pet is on year round protection, we recommend a Heartworm Test every two years. If your pet only receives Heartworm prevention for a portion of the year, or has had a lapse in protection, we recommend a yearly Heartworm Test. 

Lyme Prevention/Testing: We recommend a Lyme vaccination, in addition to flea and tick prevention. Prior to receiving his/her first Lyme vaccination we recommend a Lyme test to ensure your pet has not been exposed prior to vaccination. If you have found a tick on your pet, we recommend having your pet tested for Lyme one month after attachment. If your pet has experienced a lapse in protection of one month, or greater, we recommend having your pet tested for Lyme prior to receiving their vaccination. 

Combination Test: We offer our Heartworm and Lyme testing separately, or in a combination test. Our combination test screens for six vector-borne diseases, including Heartworm and Lyme. 

FeLV/FIV Testing: For your feline companion, we recommend a FeLV/FIV test once he/she has reached at least 12 weeks of age. If your companion is indoor only, no further testing is required unless there is reason to believe your pet has been exposed. It is highly recommended that feline companions that are indoor/outdoor are vaccinated for Leukemia. If there is a lapse in protection, or reason to believe your pet has been exposed, another FeLV/FIV test should be completed. 

Pre-Anesthesia Profile: Advances in anesthesia and anesthetic monitoring techniques have made routine procedures relatively safe, with low rates of complications. However, occasionally during surgeries, problems can occur due to pre-existing conditions that are not evident during routine histories and physical examinations. To minimize problems, we recommend that your pet be screened prior to anesthesia. Our laboratory is fully equipped so the results can be available prior to your pet being placed under anesthesia. 

Geriatric Profile: We believe it is very important that we do all we can to ensure that your pet is always its healthiest. Because of this, we offer a Geriatric Health Profile for any animal that is 6 years of age or older. As your pet grows older, we recommend performing basic bloodwork to evaluate your pets' internal organs. There are many common age related diseases that pets can suffer from. With early detection and treatment we are able to manage your pet's health needs. Some of these common age related diseases are: Kidney Disease | Liver Disease | Heart Disease | Dental Disease | Thyroid Disease | Diabetes

By performing the Geriatric Profile we are able to provide a detailed look at your pet's health from the inside. There are many conditions that cannot be diagnosed by looking, touching, and listening. The testing is broke up into four portions: Complete Blood Count (CBC), Chemistry Panel or Prep Profile, ProBNP testing and T4. See our "Geriatric Profile Information" tab for information.