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Advanced Diagnostic Services for Pets
Our animal hospital has a variety of advanced diagnostic technology capabilities, allowing us to catch and discover illnesses sooner. These services include: in-house laboratory, digital radiography, ultrasound, dermatology testing and more.
Laboratory Services
TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Davidson’s comprehensive in-house laboratory allows for expedient turnaround time to help us establish health baselines and find clues as to why your furry friend might not be feeling well. Timely responses to lab findings can better support the findings of a physical exam, help alleviate discomfort, and speed recovery.
Blood work, urinalysis, fecal exams, and skin scrapings can all be examined quickly, efficiently, and accurately providing data on organ function, blood chemistry levels and any underlying abnormalities.
If your pet is healthy, we recommend blood work annually. If your pet is a senior, sick, or living with a chronic health condition, our clinical team recommends blood work semi-annually. This will allow us to keep a close eye on any changes in health before they become severe as well as provide timely treatment.
We ask that you bring a fresh fecal sample to your pet’s annual or semi-annual check-up. A urinalysis can be taken at the time of the visit.
A list of the most commonly utilized diagnostics our in-house laboratory can perform include:
Complete Blood Count (CBC) which will review the number of red and white blood cells, as well as platelets in a single blood sample. A CBC is a snapshot into your pet’s current health, and can indicate issues, which include, but are not limited to inflammation, infection, and some cancers.
Blood Chemistry Panel helps to measure organ health and function. It’s a baseline health record and is used to measure treatment efficacy.
Urinalysis may be part of your pet’s preventative care. Urinalysis examines the urine’s color, clarity, and odor, and is used to identify urinary tract infections and some systemic diseases, such as liver failure and hemolysis.
Thyroid Testing identifies if the thyroid gland is over- or under-producing hormones necessary for metabolism and energy. Unexplained weight loss or weight gain could indicate a thyroid issue in your pet.
Electrolytes Testing measures the elements necessary for a cell to function properly. Results from sodium, potassium, and chloride levels provide a look into a pet’s general health status, especially hydration and bone health.
Fecal Exams are recommended annually. It requires a fresh stool sample and is used to identify intestinal parasites, internal bleeding, digestive problems, pancreatic illness, and some diseases.
Skin Scraping is a common dermatological test that looks for the presence of fungi, parasites, and allergens.
Digital Radiography
Digital radiology is a non-invasive procedure used to examine your pet’s organs and skeletal system. It provides an in-depth look at conditions affecting your furry friend by allowing us to look below the surface of the skin.
Using digital radiology, our doctors can find foreign objects, locate joint issues and fractures, and look for organ abnormalities (such as cancer), as well as aid in dental prophylaxis.
Allergy & Dermatology
Oh, allergies… They can make life miserable! At TotalBond Veterinary Hospital, our doctors will help confirm, or rule out, some of the causes for itching, biting at the skin, and unexplained hair loss in your pet.
To start the diagnostic process, we will check for the presence of fleas and food allergies. For our very difficult, non-responsive allergy cases, we have the option of referring you to a nearby specialist for testing.
Prior to the test, you will be instructed to discontinue any medications which will suppress an allergic reaction. Depending on what has been prescribed for your pet, this may take 2-8 weeks to clear your pet’s system.
To prevent false positive results, the veterinary specialist will ensure your pet is free from infection at the site upon which the test will be conducted. A light sedative will be given to avoid any discomfort and keep your pet relaxed. A small area of fur will be shaved on your pet’s body, and about 50 allergens will be injected in a sequential pattern. They include a whole slew of allergens such as pollens from trees, weeds and grass; molds; certain insects; and household allergens. A positive reaction will occur in approximately 15 minutes, with the specific allergen injection site becoming red and swollen.
Once the allergens have been identified, a vaccine may be formulated as an injectable or oral drops. This protocol may take 3-12 months for full results, and in the interim, your pet may remain on other medications to keep symptoms under control.
Cytology & Histopathology
Cytology is the microscopic examination of cell samples taken from skin, lumps, bumps, and other tissues. When we do this in our in-house laboratory, it provides quick, easy, and Inexpensive insight into whatever type of lesion or condition has been observed. In some cases, we will advise that the cell sample be sent to a pathologist for more expert over-read.
Histopathology Is sending an actual tissue sample to the lab for a pathologist to read and diagnose. This is always done through our commercial laboratory and generally takes 3-4 days for a result.
Microbiology
We will often send a sample of fluid – urine, pus, or other material – to be cultured that we may a) Identify the organism causing an infection, and b) Identify the best antibiotics that will work against it (and conversely, which ones to avoid).
