Veterinary Lab in Pittsboro
Veterinary Diagnostic Lab
We use electromagnetic radiation in combination with other technologies to conduct diagnostic imaging. This helps us obtain extremely detailed images of your pet's internal structures.
At Hope Crossing Animal Hospital, we have access to advanced tools that help us to accurately diagnose your cat or dog's medical issues. We offer a range of services, including digital radiology, ultrasounds, and digital dental X-rays.
With our diagnostic imaging capabilities, our vets are able to acquire diagnostic information to quickly and accurately diagnose your pet's condition and offer you options for treatment.
In-House Lab & Veterinary Pharmacy in Pittsboro
We conduct diagnostic tests and get fast results with our in-house laboratory, so we are able to diagnose your pet's symptoms and start their treatment quickly.
Our Pittsboro pet pharmacy contains a variety of prescription medications and diets, so we can easily access the medications your pet might require while in our care.
Our Diagnostic Services
With our in-house veterinary diagnostics lab, we are excited to provide you with advanced diagnostic tests that let our veterinary team provide you with an accurate diagnosis for your pet's symptoms.
- Radiography (Digital X-rays)
With a radiograph (digital X-ray), our vets can evaluate your cat or dog's internal systems to uncover information that could be hidden from the outside.
Radiography is non-invasive, painless, and safe. It only requires very low doses of radiation. Since the levels of radiation exposure used to perform radiography is so low, very young pets and pregnant females can have this procedure done.
Radiographs can be used to evaluate bones and organs, and diagnose conditions including broken bones, chronic arthritis, bladder stones, spinal cord diseases and some tumors.
- Ultrasound
The use of diagnostic imaging lets our veterinarians capture extremely detailed images of your cat or dog's internal structures.
With ultrasound imaging, we expose part of your pet's body to high-frequency sound waves to take images of the body's insides.
Since ultrasound images are captured in real-time we are able to see the structure and movement of your pet's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through the blood vessels.
Having this valuable technology available to our vets in our in-house lab means that we can quickly diagnose your pet's condition and begin treatment sooner.
- Bloodwork
At our vet lab in Pittsboro we are able to run a number of common and specialized blood tests to determine the health of your pet, and to diagnose illness.
Some of the most common veterinary blood tests we do are CBC (complete blood count), white blood count, hemoglobin and MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration), hematocrit, platelets, eosinophils, and blood serum profile.
- Urinalysis
Urinalysis is an essential diagnostic test that gives your vet key insights into the physical and chemical properties of your cat or dog's urine.
Our vets mostly use urinalysis to assess the health of your pet's kidneys and urinary tract system, however, it could also be used to find problems in other organ systems and is important for diagnosing metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
This is a valuable diagnostic test for both healthy and sick pets and should be part any comprehensive evaluation of your cat or dog's overall health.
- Fecal Exams
A fecal exam is the microscopic examination of your pet's feces, which can be done at our in-house vet lab in Pittsboro.
The main goal of a fecal exam is to find and treat any GI infections that may be compromising the health of your pet and even the health of your family. Fecal exams let your vet determine if your animal has intestinal parasites such as roundworms or hookworms.
Parasites have the ability to make cats and dogs feel irritable, uncomfortable, and lead to more serious conditions. Some can even be transmitted to humans.
Because these parasites reside in the gastrointestinal tract of your pet, they are often hidden out of sight. The only way to find them is with a fecal exam.
Annual fecal exams should be a vital part of every pet's routine wellness exam.
- EKG
If your veterinarian conducts a physical examination and thinks your cat or dog might have a heart disorder, they will usually take chest X-rays and an electrocardiogram (KG).
This procedure can be performed quickly and easily. It uncovers data that could be integral to your pet's diagnosis. In other cases, a cardiac ultrasound might be needed to identify disorders in the chambers of the heart.
- Digital Dental X-Rays
If your pet is suffering from periodontal disease, a lot of the damage will be occurring beneath the gum line where it can't be seen easily. Digital dental X-rays help our vets evaluate the overall health of your pet.
Digital X-rays are an important part of your pet's dental care. They let our professional veterinary team examine the roots, bones and internal anatomy of your pet's teeth.
With digital X-rays, the risk of radiation exposure for your pet is a lot lower than with traditional X-ray technology. We can see below the surface of your cat or dog's gum line to fully examine each tooth.
This technology allows your Pittsboro vet to see results immediately, then project them onto a computer screen to review.