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Laboratory Services A patient's blood provides an informative window into their inner workings. Evaluation of the red and white blood cells that make up blood can provide the first evidence of anemia or infection. The blood provides evidence of organ dysfunction such as liver and kidney disease. Hormonal diseases such as diabetes can be readily diagnosed with routine blood testing. This is why the complete blood count and serum chemistry panel are the foundation of almost every diagnostic work-up and as a preliminary work-up before scheduled surgery. Basic diagnostic testing provides valuable pieces of the puzzle of veterinarian's diagnosis of a problem of a sick pet. Additional pieces can be collected through more specialized blood tests. The blood can be tested for evidence of specific infectious diseases. There are tests available now to measure most dog and cat hormones, blood tests to more accurately measure the function of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, and other internal organs. There are also tests available to measure the titer for a viral disease in order to make an informed decision as to whether further vaccination is necessary for protection. Because blood testing is such an important part of the diagnosis and treatment of our patients, the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center maintains a modern, fully equipped, in-house laboratory staffed by experienced licensed veterinary technicians. Our on-site laboratory can perform over 200 specific tests as part of the evaluative process to treat our patients. This includes, in addition to the blood tests listed above, parasitology and fecal analysis, cytology (study of cells) staining and review of ear discharge, mass impression smears, gram stains, spinal fluid, vaginal cells for breeding and urinanalysis. Our laboratory routinely completes coagulation testing, microbiology, blood cultures, culture growth and sensitivity to antibiotics, toxicology levels and screens, allergy testing, serology for titers of viral diseases and tick identification.
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It is often not possible to diagnose an illness based solely on your pet's history and physical examination. In these cases, there is no diagnosis without diagnostics. This often means blood or other types of testing. In addition, well pets and those expected to undergo elective surgery (spay and neuter, for example) should have their blood chemistries and blood counts assessed as part of their baseline function and to rule out any problems before they are subjected to surgery.