Diagnostics are the cornerstone of high-quality veterinary medicine. Our diagnostic capabilities include in-house blood and urine testing, radiology, ultrasonography, electrocardiography and endoscopy. Diagnostics are used for routine wellness and pre-anesthetic screening and to help assess sick and injured pets. What can be seen with the naked eye is not enough to provide a complete analysis of a pet's health.

Blood testing offers information regarding the diagnosis of blood disorders, kidney and liver disease, diabetes, infection, thyroid malfunction, hormone problems and other illnesses. It also provides a baseline for healthy pets and when performed routinely can catch problems in their early stages. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is important in evaluating the risk of anesthesia and helps us individualize our anesthetic protocols.

Urinalysis is used to monitor the health of the urinary tract. It reveals the existence of bacteria, blood and crystals in the urine as well as the possible formation of bladder stones.

Candace is a using a chem strip to determine the pH and check for blood, glucose and/or protein in the urine. Next she will evaluate the urine microscopically for bacteria, crystals or abnormal cells.		Pam is running a routine CBC and blood chemistry panel. She is also checking thyroid and cholesterol levels. Our VetScan blood analysis equipment allows for rapid and accurate results.
Franca is checking a fecal sample for the presence of intestinal parasites.		Inga is running a rickettsial snap test to check for the presence of heartworm, lymes and/or ehrlichia.

Radiography uses x-rays to produce an image of bone or soft tissue. It is a quick, effective means of evaluating orthopedic and numerous internal problems.

Ultrasonography is a non-invasive tool that uses sound waves to produce two-dimensional images of vital organs as they function. It allows for detection of abnormalities, such as tumors and bladder stones, which may otherwise go unnoticed.

Dr. Garrison is performing an abdominal ultrasound on "Zoe".  Ultrasonography aids in finding tumors and bladder stones which may not show up on x-ray.		Joana and Inga are x-raying "Guiness" to check for possible hip displaysia.  All golden retrievers should be x-rayed to determine the conformation and stability of their hip joints.

Electrocardiography is an important measure of cardiac function. It allows us to detect arrhythmias, i.e. abnormalities in rate and rhythm of the heart, which occur in pets that have cardiomyopathy or valvular disease.

Endoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool that uses a camera to allow non-surgical visualization inside the body. We can explore and obtain biopsies from the upper and lower GI tract, nasal passages, trachea, bronchi and urinary tract. Endoscopy can also be used to retrieve small foreign bodies from the esophagus and stomach.

Our video otoscope is a specialized endoscope used mainly in viewing the inner ear which delivers a clear, magnified image of the ear canal as well as the eardrum. It allows greater accuracy than the handheld otoscope in collecting samples, properly flushing and removing debris from the ear.

"Libby's" owners thought she might have ear mites. Dr. Bassett is using the video-otoscope to examine, flush and remove debris from "Libby's" inner ear canal. He found swelling, infection and a ruptured eardrum.		In this close-up you can see the hand-held otoscope with the camera attachment.  There is a port on the otoscope that allows for fluid entry to flush the ear.  This port can also be used to insert a flexible forcep to collect biopsy samples and/or remove debris.