Advanced Diagnostics for Dogs and Cats in Wellington
When your pet is sick, injured, or simply not acting like themselves, diagnostic testing can help us understand what is happening beneath the surface. Courtyard Animal Hospital combines in-house laboratory testing, outside reference laboratories, digital X-rays, and coordinated ultrasound services to gather information and guide your pet’s care.
Finding Answers Beneath the Surface
A physical examination provides valuable information, but some health concerns require a closer look. Diagnostic testing can help evaluate internal health, identify possible causes of symptoms, establish a baseline, and monitor changes over time.
The right tests depend on your pet’s medical history, symptoms, and examination findings. We will explain what each recommendation may tell us and how the results could affect the next steps in your pet’s care.
Testing may be recommended during routine wellness care, before anesthesia, while investigating an urgent concern, or when monitoring an ongoing condition.
In-House and Referral Laboratory Testing
Our in-house laboratory allows us to perform many routine and urgent tests without sending every sample to another facility. Depending on your pet’s needs, we may evaluate blood, urine, stool, skin, or ear samples.
In-house testing may help us look for signs of infection, anemia, diabetes, kidney or liver changes, pancreatitis, urinary concerns, parasites, heartworm disease, and other abnormalities. For more specialized testing, samples may be submitted to veterinary reference laboratories for further analysis.
Digital X-Rays
Digital radiography creates images of bones, joints, the chest, abdomen, and other internal structures. X-rays may be recommended when evaluating an injury, mobility problem, swallowed object, bladder stone, mass, or another medical concern.
Courtyard Animal Hospital uses a high-frequency digital X-ray system and can coordinate radiology consultations when an additional review is appropriate. Some pets may need sedation when discomfort, anxiety, or the required positioning makes it difficult to remain still.
Ultrasound and Echocardiography
Ultrasound uses sound waves rather than radiation to create images of soft tissues and internal organs. Courtyard Animal Hospital coordinates this service through a traveling ultrasonographer.
An abdominal ultrasound may provide detailed views of organs such as the liver, spleen, gallbladder, and kidneys. We can also coordinate echocardiograms, which are ultrasounds of the heart. The resulting images are reviewed by a cardiologist to help evaluate possible heart disease and inform treatment recommendations.
Once results are available, our team will explain what they mean and discuss the next steps with you. Call Courtyard Animal Hospital at (561) 784-7387 with questions about diagnostic testing or to schedule an evaluation.