Diagnostics
If there’s something wrong with your pet, or if your pet is pregnant, sometimes she needs more than just a wellness exam. At Brentwood Animal Hospital, have the latest in diagnostic equipment, including a digital ultrasound that will help your vet diagnose your pet’s problems.
What Is Digital Ultrasound?
Digital ultrasound is a type of ultrasound technology that uses sound waves to look inside living bodies. This is a harmless, painless, and non-invasive procedure. Our veterinarian will use the digital ultrasound to send sound waves into your pet that will bounce off different organs and structures inside, and digitally display an image of your pet’s internal tissues.
What Is Digital Ultrasound Used for?
Digital ultrasound is used to detect puppies or kittens in a pregnant dog or cat. You can actually see the fetuses in real time on the display, and even count how many kittens or puppies your pet may be carrying. Ultrasound is also used for locating tumors or abnormalities in the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Your veterinarian can also use the ultrasound to see inside your pet’s intestines and stomach to look for obstructions or other problems. Lastly, ultrasound can be used to look at your pet’s joints to see if there is arthritis or maybe a tear in ligaments.
Onsite Laboratory
We also have a fully operational onsite diagnostic laboratory. We perform most of our own routine laboratory tests – including blood work, urinalysis, and fecal anaylsis to save you time and money.
- Blood Work. In most of our routine pet exams, blood will be drawn for a CBC – Complete Blood Count. This diagnostic testing tool will help us to detect conditions such as anemia, hydration level, immune response, possible infections, illness, and more. The CBC tests can help our team discover specific diseases such as leukemia and certain types of cancer. Another very important blood test for dogs is the heartworm test. Heartworm is very serious and can be fatal if not treated. Other blood tests can be performed to check an animal’s kidney function, liver health, and pancreatic health.
- Urinalysis. Urinalysis tests in pets are usually part of a routine veterinarian wellness visit. They’re commonly used to check for health of the urinary system and kidneys as well as metabolic diseases.
- Fecal Analyses. When bringing your pet to a routine wellness exam, your veterinarian will usually request a stool sample for fecal analysis. Fecal testing is done in a laboratory to detect the presence of hookworms, roundworms, whipworms. and liver flukes. If you are asked to bring a stool sample with you to a veterinarian visit, be sure to ask about the timing of the collection. Fresher samples are typically the best and provide more accurate testing results.
Call us at 850-434-2646 if you have questions or to learn more about our diagnostic suite.
