Galax Veterinary Clinic
Pet Diagnsotics
Learn more about our pet diagnostic services below!
At our veterinary clinic, we understand how important your pet is to you and your family. That’s why we strive to provide the highest quality of care possible. We know that when your pet is sick or injured, you want nothing more than for them to get better as quickly as possible. That’s why we’re proud to offer a wide range of diagnostic services. With our in-house lab equipment, x-rays, and ultrasound machines, we can usually get a diagnosis within a few hours. That way, we can start treating your pet as soon as possible and get them back to their happy, healthy selves.
Services
In-House Labs
We can run diagnostic screening tests for your dog or cat because we have a laboratory on-site. Our laboratory enables us to assess your pet’s health in the event that they become ill or are hurt, should they need diagnostic tests.
- Wellness testing (Chemistry, Complete Blood Count, Urinalysis)
- Testing for specific disease processes
- Heartworm and tick-borne disease testing
- Testing for intestinal parasites
- Pre-anesthetic
- Allergy testing
- Cytology
- Biopsies
- Diagnostic Services
X-Rays
An x-ray, also known as a radiograph, is a kind of picture that may look inside the body and reveal details that might not be visible from the outside. Nearly every organ in the body, including the heart, lungs, abdominal organs, and bones, can be examined with radiography.
Radiation dosages used in radiography are extremely low, and the procedure is painless, safe, and entirely non-invasive. Even pregnant women and very young pets can get radiography because the required level of radiation exposure is so minimal. Radiographs can be used to assess the position, size, and shape of many of the body’s organs in addition to the bones. Because some medical disorders, including kidney, heart, or liver illness, might change an organ’s size, it is crucial to consider
Ultrasounds
Pet ultrasound, or veterinary ultrasound, is a non-invasive diagnostic imaging technique that uses sound waves to create images of a pet’s internal organs, tissues, and structures. This technology emits high-frequency sound waves that bounce off the pet’s internal structures. Then, a computer converts the echoes into visual images.
Pet ultrasound is commonly used to evaluate organs such as the liver, spleen, kidneys, urinary bladder, heart, and blood vessels. It is particularly useful for identifying abnormalities such as tumors, cysts, and stones and monitoring pregnancy in female pets. Examples of how your veterinarian uses pet ultrasound include:
- Confirming pregnancy (as early as 25 days gestation)
- Monitoring fetal health
- Detecting pathology or disease in geriatric patients (referred to as global ultrasound)
- As a guide for obtaining samples such as abdominal masses and sterile urine samples
- Identifying the cause of heart murmurs
The procedure is generally painless and does not require anesthesia or sedation in most cases. The pet may need to be shaved in the area being examined to ensure a clear image. During the procedure, a handheld transducer is placed on the pet’s skin and moved around to capture images from different angles.
Pet ultrasound is considered a safe and reliable diagnostic tool for veterinarians, and it can provide valuable information about a pet’s health and medical conditions. However, it’s essential to note that there may be better choices for some situations, and other imaging techniques, such as X-rays or MRI, may be necessary. Your veterinarian can help determine the best course of action for your pet’s specific needs.
We proudly serve pets in Galax, VA, and beyond.
It is our mission to partner with our clients to nurture and preserve the human-animal bond by providing compassionate, expert, and affordable veterinary care from your pet’s first adventure throughout a long and healthy life.