Diagnostic Services at Our Hospital

The Latest in Veterinary Diagnostic Technology

As part of our commitment to provide you with access to the best medical care for pets in the St. Charles area, the veterinarians at Bryan Road Animal Hospital have also invested in the latest diagnostic technology. After performing a thorough examination, diagnostic tests are sometimes necessary in order to identify the underlying cause of your pet’s illness. It is our policy to review any recommended tests with you before they are performed, as well as discuss all the available treatment options and fees.

Digital Radiographs: A Clear Advantage for Your Pet

Radiographs, or X-rays, are one of the most common and useful diagnostic tools in medicine because of their ability to penetrate tissues and show your pet's organs and bones. At Bryan Road Animal Hospital, we use X-rays to examine your pet’s bones, lungs, heart, abdomen, oral cavity, and other areas, and for diagnosing and monitoring many medical and surgical conditions. If we suspect your pet has a fractured bone, has swallowed a foreign object, or is suffering from a heart problem, an X-ray can tell us what we need to know.

Because X-rays are such a valuable diagnostic tool, Bryan Road Animal Hospital has invested in a state-of-the-art digital X-ray machine. There are many important advantages to digital X-rays:

• They are immediately able to be viewed on a computer monitor.
• The clear, detailed images can be manipulated so we can get a better view of your pet's bones and internal organs, leading to a quicker and more accurate diagnosis.
• They take less time to process, which means less time for your pet on the X-ray table (and less stress), and less waiting time for you.
• No harsh chemicals are needed to develop the images, reducing potential harm to our staff and the environment.
• If a second opinion is necessary, digital X-rays can be sent by email to a board certified radiologist.

Advanced diagnostic capabilities are an extremely important part of veterinary medicine because effective treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis. Our investment in digital X-ray technology reflects our commitment to offer you and your pet the best, most comprehensive healthcare available.

Ultrasound: When We Need to Know More

Ultrasound is a painless, safe, non-invasive procedure that we use to evaluate your pet's internal organs. It is one of the many ways we strive to give you peace of mind when it comes to your pet's health. Using sound waves, ultrasound produces a real-time moving picture of your pet's organs that allows us to visualize objects that cannot be detected by X-rays alone. Bryan Road Animal Hospital's veterinarians work with a specially-trained, board-certified radiologist, who can provide you with same-day analysis of your pet's ultrasound.

We use ultrasounds to assess the shape, size, tissue density, internal structure, and position of your pet's abdominal organs, assess cardiac health (also called an echocardiogram), and diagnose pregnancy. It can also be used to identify masses or tumors and as a guide during surgical biopsies.

The ultrasound procedure takes between 30 to 60 minutes to perform and, unless it is being used during a surgical biopsy, does not typically require sedation. A diagnosis based on what we see is usually available immediately, which means we can also provide you with treatment options at the time of your appointment and minimize your worry and stress.

Laboratory Testing: Advanced Diagnostic Technology for Your St. Charles Pet

When performing routine wellness examinations or diagnosing an illness, what our veterinarians can't see is as important, if not more important, that what they can see.

Because protecting your pet's health is our most important job, we have an in-house diagnostic laboratory that allows us to perform tests on urine, blood, and fecal samples. For more comprehensive testing of blood samples and biopsied tissues, we partner with a reference laboratory that provides us with fast, accurate results. Test results help us make an accurate diagnosis or assessment of your pet's health, as well as detect diseases and other conditions that might be affecting your pet's health and well-being.

Below are short descriptions of the most common laboratory tests performed at our hospital.

Fecal Examination

A fecal examination is part of your pet's complete wellness examination. One of our veterinarians will examine your pet's feces under a microscope for clues about many different kinds of diseases, including difficulties with digestion, internal bleeding and pancreas disorders. Most importantly, a fecal examination confirms the presence of intestinal parasites, including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, tapeworm, and giardia.

Urinalysis

Laboratory testing of your pet's urine can help detect the presence of specific substances that normally do not appear in urine, including protein, sugar, white blood cells, or blood. Measuring the dilution or concentration of urine can also help your veterinarian diagnose illness. Urinalysis can also be helpful in diagnosing urinary tract infections, diabetes, dehydration, kidney problems, and other medical conditions.

Laboratory testing provides information about your pet's overall systemic health without the need for invasive and expensive procedures and minimizes the time you need to wait for an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

If you would like more information about the veterinary diagnostic services at Bryan Road Animal Hospital, please call (636) 272-3900.