Diagnostic Testing (Laboratory Services)

Why Is Routine Diagnostic Testing Important?

We can more thoroughly evaluate your pet’s internal health through diagnostic screening tests such as blood, fecal, and urine tests. These tests can help us track your pet’s overall health and provide us with a baseline health score for your pet. Changes in results from year to year can act as early warning signs of emerging health problems.

For your convenience, most diagnostic testing at Aumsville Animal Clinic, LLC can be completed in the clinic during your pet’s appointment, providing us with results before you leave! Lab tests that cannot be run in-clinic are sent to reference laboratories with whom we partner.

Diagnostics Tests We Commonly Perform

Fecal examination: Looks for evidence of internal parasites in your pet’s stool. Parasites attach themselves to the intestinal lining and secrete eggs in the feces, detectable only by microscopic evaluation or highly sensitive diagnostic tests such as antigen or PCR tests. By the time you see a worm in your pet’s feces, your pet has been infested for some time. Regular fecal screening will also tell us if your pet’s parasite preventive is working.
Urinalysis: Tells us if your pet has an infection, evidence of dehydration, kidney disease, diabetes, bladder stones, crystals, and much more.
Blood evaluation: Our blood chemistry panels assess the functionality of the major organ systems of the body, including the liver, pancreas, kidneys, and thyroid. A complete blood count (CBC) tells us about your pet’s red and white blood cells and gives us much information about possible illness, infection, bleeding problems, and more.
Vector-borne disease screening (dogs): Includes screening for harmful parasite-transmitted diseases such as heartworm, Ehrlichia, and anaplasmosis.
Infectious disease testing for cats: Screens cats for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline leukemia virus, and feline heartworm infection.