When something is wrong with your fur baby, you want answers, and you want them fast. We are often able to narrow things down with a thorough physical examination, but many times diagnostic testing is needed.
When it comes to detecting illness, diagnostic testing for pets can be a valuable way to help us at Strawbridge Animal Care arrive at a diagnosis sooner.
All About Diagnostic Testing for Pets
The staff at Strawbridge Animal Care knows how important your pet’s health is. That is why we think it is essential to have a wide variety of diagnostic testing capabilities at our disposal. Some of the more common tests we might recommend include:
Radiographs – “X-rays” allow our veterinarians to assess your pet’s internal organs’ size, shape, and position, as well as assess bony structures within the body.
Ultrasound – Sound waves can help to create a picture of the internal organs and body structures in detail. Real-time imaging can also yield a lot of information.
Blood tests – Blood samples tell us a lot about organ function, electrolyte balance, hydration status, and cell counts.
Urinalysis – A simple urine sample can tip us off to infection, kidney disease, diabetes, or even blood pressure issues.
Cytology/biopsy – The microscopic examination of cells, fluids, and tissues is valuable in leading to a diagnosis.
Of course, there are many other diagnostic tests for pets that may be required in certain situations. We utilize the tests most likely to give us the answers we need to systematically rule out possibilities.
Age Isn’t Just a Number
As a pet becomes a senior, the likelihood of health problems developing increases. This makes it important to have a good handle on what is normal for your pet. This means that you need to pay attention to normal day-to-day habits and behaviors even more closely, as changes may indicate a problem.
Closely observing your pet when he or she is well is an extremely important step in helping determine when a problem may be on the horizon.
Likewise, running diagnostic tests periodically becomes more important. Even if your pet seems fine, screening tests can help to identify problems earlier. Catching problems early in their course helps to improve overall prognosis for your pet.
Screening tests also allow us to establish a baseline of health for your pet, a very important part of senior health care. This means we know what values are normal for your individual senior pet, helping alert us to trouble earlier than we might otherwise recognize. Diagnostic testing for senior pets is a vital component of optimal wellness care.
Diagnostic testing is important when it comes to helping us to practice the best quality of veterinary medicine for your pets, no matter whether they are young or old. Getting the information we need helps us treat pets faster, and get them back to optimal health.