Laboratory Diagnostic Testing
Unfortunately, pets can’t tell us where it hurts, and oftentimes, a healthy appearing pet may be masking symptoms of disease or illness.  Laboratory diagnostics are used to evaluate your pet’s internal organs’ function to find or rule out a diagnosis.  Additionally, laboratory diagnostics can find abnormalities early to diagnosis and prevent progression of chronic disease. 

Diagnostics are also used as an annual screening tool for diseases like heartworm and intestinal parasites.

Why do Veterinarians use laboratory diagnostics?
To ensure a diagnosis, the doctors first examine your pet from nose to tail, checking their heart/lungs, nervous system, abdomen, and bone structure for any abnormalities.  We then perform blood, fecal, and/or urine tests to confirm the health of internal organs such as liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, and endocrine system.  Performing these tests semi-annually allows the doctors to track subtle changes that may not be present on physical examination.
Our state-of-the-art in-house diagnostic laboratory enables us to perform blood chemistry, complete blood count, and urinalysis with microscopic images in urgent situations.  We also utilize a reference laboratory to provide diagnostic information for prevention and maintaining wellness.

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Microscopic Diagnostics
East-West Animal Hospital utilizes microscopic diagnostics to determine if your pet has intestinal parasites, skin infections, or ear infections.  This allows the doctors to prescribe an effective treatment, if needed, for your pet.

Doppler Blood Pressure
East-West Animal Hospital utilizes blood pressure screening for the same reasons as your own physician.  We recommend all senior pets receive a blood pressure screening at least once a year to track any changes.  Additionally, pets with certain underlying diseases can be predisposed to high blood pressure.  Checking blood pressure can help us diagnose and treat diseases as well as monitor them.

​How do we get a blood pressure reading from your pet?
Cats blood pressure is can be obtained from the underside of the tail close to the body, or a front leg. 
Dog blood pressure is usually obtained from the front leg.
The area is clipped so the doppler sensor will not have any obstruction from the haircoat.  The blood pressure cuff is placed above the clipped area and attached to the sphygmomanometer.  Ultrasound gel is applied to the doppler sensor to enable hearing the heartbeat.  Headphones are usually worn by the technician performing the reading to silence outside noise to focus on sounds.  The blood pressure cuff is inflated until the heart sounds are muffled and slowly released noting the level on the sphygmomanometer when the sound returns.  This process is repeated multiple times to obtain an average blood pressure reading.
The reading is recorded in the patient record along with the area of the body the reading was obtained to ensure consistent readings in the future.