Diagnostic / Laboratory Services

Yes, pets do suffer from high blood pressure, just like people. That is why it is important to be able to monitor blood pressure. We have a Doppler blood pressure monitor so we can conduct such evaluations. We also use it routinely as a monitoring tool during surgical procedures and as part of our senior profile. Blood pressure monitoring is so very important in the evaluation of human health for routine check ups, cardiovascular conditions or during surgical procedures. Well, it is no less important for your pets. As a means of achieving our goal of providing the best possible…

An electrocardiogram is useful in the evaluation of heart function. We conduct ECG’s to evaluate cardiac patients and also as a monitoring tool during surgical procedures. However, other diagnostic tests are also needed to get a full evaluation of heart function.

Our yearly heartworm test used the past, which was part of a canine annual physical examination, checked only for the presence of heartworm disease. A few years ago a new diagnostic test kit was made available which, in addition to testing for heartworm disease, also screened for three life-threatening tick borne diseases which are present in our geographic area, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. Through a simple blood test we are able to test for these four diseases and aid us in our goal of providing the best possible care for your pets. These diseases are present in Illinois and…

A complete blood count is a useful tool in the diagnostic process. A CBC is useful in determining many blood parameters as well as indicating if an infection is present. There are several components to the CBC. CBCs can be done manually but the speed of an automated system coupled with the amount of information that can be generated by such a machine make it a very useful diagnostic tool. We use such a system, a Lasercyte, which helps us generate CBCs rapidly and very accurately. Hematocrit/Packed Cell Volume (PCV) This is a number that is reported as a percentage…

Our in house laboratory is something in which we take great pride. The capability to generate test results quickly is so important when dealing with critically ill animals. The sooner a diagnosis is determined, the sooner proper therapy can be started. A lab technician is always on duty whose job it is to process the lab work. We are able to conduct complete blood counts, blood chemistries, urinalyses, fecal evaluations, Gram stains, cytology, coagulation profiles, some endocrinology testing, heartworm testing, feline leukemia/FIV testing and many other tests.  

X-rays are a valuable diagnostic tool. We have improved our capability with digital radiography. We are able to take better radiographs and with manipulations further improve their detail for better diagnostic value. We are also able to enlarge the images for an even better look at areas of interest. Another advantage is that we can transmit the images via email to specialists so they can give us evaluations of cases without the hassle of mailing radiographs as we used to do in the past. In January of 2007, we converted to a new digital radiography system, replacing our older film…