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Laboratory Testing

Veterinarians depend on laboratory results to help them understand the status of your pet's health. When your pet is healthy, your vet may want to run certain tests to determine baseline values, to be used for comparison purposes later. Many vets also routinely request presurgical laboratory screening tests to help identify patients at risk of complications for general anesthesia.

Some vets have laboratory testing facilities in their offices, and results can be found out right away. Others may need to send results out to commercial laboratories.

Complete Blood Count (CBC):

This common test measures the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in a sample of blood. This can help to diagnose anemia, infections and leukemia.

Urinalysis (UA)

Laboratory analysis of urine is a tool used to detect the presence of substances that do not usually appear in urine, such as protein, sugar, white blood cells or blood. A urinalysis can help the veterinarian diagnose urinary tract infections, diabetes, dehydration, kidney problems and other conditions.

Blood Chemistry Panel:

Blood-chemistry panels measure electrolytes, enzymes and chemical elemetns such as calcium and phosphorous. This information helps your vet determine how various organs such as the kidneys, liver and pancreas, are currently functioning.

Heartworm Test:

If your vet suspects that your pet has heartworm, he or she will recommend testing to confirm the diagnosis. There are different tests for heartworm, all of which require a blood sample. Some tests confirm the presence of adult heartworms, and some detect microfilariae (offspring of adult heartworms) present in the bloodstream.

Skin Scraping:

Skin scrapes are examined under a microscope. The purpose of this test is to confirm the presence of fungi or microscopic parasites that live on the skin.

Thyroid Function:

If you pet's thyroid gland is not functioning properly, it may not be producing hormones vital to maintaining normal growth and metabolism. Routine testing includes measuring hormone concentrations in the thyroid glad.