Veterinary Service
Pet Laboratory Services
Diagnostics are an essential part of veterinary medicine, and at our Middle Village, NY, animal hospital, we place a strong emphasis on utilizing exceptional diagnostic tools. We provide pet X-rays, in-house laboratory equipment, and the ability to send testing to outside laboratories, to name a few diagnostic options.
Pet Laboratory Services
Our experienced veterinarians are committed to providing exceptional care to all of our patients. We believe that veterinary diagnostics is critical to keeping our four-legged friends healthy and happy.
Pet Laboratory Services
The ability to perform a wide range of laboratory tests on blood, urine, feces, and biopsied tissue is required for performing preventive medicine and diagnosing emergent internal health issues.
It is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis or assessment of your pet’s health without timely access to precise laboratory test results – blood testing, biopsies, microscopic examinations, bacterial culture sensitivity, and more. Without the need for invasive and costly procedures, laboratory testing allows our veterinarians to obtain additional information to assess your pet’s overall systemic health.
Diagnostic testing, for example, can detect heartworm disease, Lyme disease, infections, feline leukemia, intestinal parasites, urinary tract infections, and a variety of other diseases and conditions that can go undetected in the early stages.
Here is a summary of the lab services we offer in our hospital lab and those available through the outside diagnostic labs whose services we use:
Blood Tests
We have the necessary equipment in our office to perform some commonly used blood tests that will aid in the diagnosis of acute and critically ill patients. A CBC, or complete blood count, is used to assess red and white blood cells as well as platelets. In our office, we also perform chemistry profiles to evaluate organ functions such as liver, kidney, blood sugar, and electrolytes. More sophisticated and comprehensive versions of these tests can be run by our outside diagnostic lab in as little as 24 hours.
In our office, we can also perform immunologic tests to diagnose specific infectious diseases. Feline leukemia and feline aids virus tests are the best examples of these tests. Many other tests for specific infectious diseases, however, can be performed by the outside diagnostic labs that we use. The turnaround time for these specialized tests varies greatly.
Urinalysis and Urine Culture
Urinalysis and urine culture are tests that are performed frequently and expertly in our office laboratory, ensuring timely and accurate results. Our outside diagnostic lab can provide a more comprehensive urine culture, but turnaround times are typically 3 - 6 days.
Stool Samples
Stool samples are frequently tested in our office lab for worms and one-celled parasites such as Giardia and Coccidia. Stool samples are sent to a diagnostic lab much less frequently to identify uncommon parasites or to perform specialized stool cultures.
Cytology and Histopathology
Cytology, or the examination of cells, and histopathology, or the examination of tissues, are performed on samples sent to outside diagnostic labs by professional pathologists.
Veterinary Services at Forest Hills Cat Hospital
Pet Diagnostic Imaging
Pet Worms, Fleas, and Other Parasites
Pet Microchipping