Early detection is key when it comes to treating your pet, and Chattanooga Holistic Animal Institute offers complete in-house pet diagnostics, including advanced equipment and an on-site laboratory. This saves time, money, and most importantly, you don’t have to wait overnight for results—meaning your pet gets a diagnosis and needed treatment sooner.
In-House Laboratory
If you have a pet that’s ill or not acting normally, you want to figure out why as soon as possible—and so do we! Chattanooga Holistic Animal Institute is proud to have a modern in-house laboratory where we can perform many kinds of pet lab testing. This not only saves you money, but it also means that you can get answers in minutes, not days.
Our in-house pet lab testing includes:
- Chemistry panels and CBCs (complete blood counts)
- Heartworm testing
- FeLV/FIV testing
- Parvo testing
- Urinalysis
- Intestinal parasite testing (fecal screens)
- Cytologies
- Skin scrapings
- Glucose monitoring
For more specific or specific or specialized testing, we partner with a high-quality outside laboratory that returns the results to us.
Diagnostics: Not Just for Sick Pets!
It’s important to note that diagnostics are not just important for sick pets. They’re also an essential part of routine pet care.
Routine blood work is often recommended annually as part of your pet’s wellness care, especially for senior pets. It can uncover early or hidden diseases in a seemingly healthy patient. Addressing a problem before it becomes clinically significant is not only easier on the pet, but it is also less expensive and provides the best outcome. Baseline bloodwork done when your pet is healthy is also an essential part of their medical history, as it allows us to have reference points to compare with any abnormalities that should come up in the future.
Pre-anesthetic blood work is an essential part of any surgical procedure and is necessary for detecting problems in organs that process anesthetic medications, like the liver and kidneys. If we see abnormal results, we can make changes to the types of medications used, drug dosages, and intravenous fluid amounts to ensure maximum safety. In some cases, pre-anesthetic bloodwork can alert us to patients who cannot be safely anesthetized and may need treatment for an issue before undergoing anesthesia.d results back to us.
Digital Radiology (X-Rays)
Chattanooga Holistic Animal Institute employs advanced imaging technologies to guarantee the highest quality pet X-rays for our patients. We utilize state-of-the-art digital radiology to ensure precise and reliable diagnostic imaging, which is essential for accurate veterinary care.
X-rays, or radiographs, utilize electromagnetic radiation directed toward the body to produce images that highlight internal structures. These images are invaluable for detecting various abnormalities, including skeletal fractures, soft tissue damage, foreign bodies, and dental disease. The detailed pictures X-rays provide allow veterinarians to diagnose and treat conditions more effectively.
Digital X-Rays: Pretty as a Picture
Digital radiology offers significant advantages over traditional film X-rays. It is faster and safer, producing less radiation exposure for pets and staff. The images produced are crisper and more detailed, which enhances the diagnostic process. Furthermore, these images are available immediately, allowing for quicker diagnosis and treatment. Digital radiology also facilitates the easy sharing of images with other veterinary specialists or facilities if needed. Additionally, the absence of film processing makes digital X-rays more environmentally friendly, as there are no chemical wastes to manage.
X-rays are instrumental in a variety of diagnostic scenarios. They are commonly used to detect fractures, identify foreign bodies, evaluate tumors, and assess the heart and lung fields. X-rays are also utilized during the later stages of pregnancy to monitor fetal development. The detailed images provided by digital radiology can significantly enhance the accuracy of these assessments.
Orthopedic radiographs often require the patient to remain completely still, which may necessitate sedation. In some specialized procedures, anesthesia might be needed to ensure optimal imaging quality. The duration of sedation or anesthesia is usually brief, and patients typically recover swiftly, minimizing any discomfort or risk.
Ultrasound
Seeing under the skin–that’s what’s possible with ultrasound technology. Pet ultrasound is a powerful diagnostic tool that creates a real-time internal image of an animal’s body. This provides us with important information about the circulatory, skeletal, and gastrointestinal systems. Chattanooga Holistic Animal Institute is proud to offer high-quality, on-site ultrasound services for our patients.
When used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools like X-rays, pet ultrasound can help identify disease, blockages, skeletal fractures, soft tissue damage, and other internal injuries. Because ultrasounds don’t require radiation, they’re also used to monitor pregnancies and fetal health in breeding pets. This helps ensure the well-being of both mother and offspring throughout the pregnancy.
An ultrasound works by broadcasting high-frequency sound waves that reflect off your pet’s internal structures. A small probe held against the skin collects the returning signals to create an image of the internal body, most commonly used to examine abdominal organs like the stomach, kidneys, liver, spleen, and gallbladder. This non-invasive method allows veterinarians to gain a comprehensive view without causing any discomfort to your pet.
An echocardiogram, or ultrasound of the heart, provides precise information about heart valves, blood flow, chamber size, and contractions. This is particularly valuable for diagnosing and managing cardiac conditions. Completely painless and non-invasive, ultrasounds sometimes require some mild sedation because the patient must remain completely still to ensure accurate results.
Chattanooga Holistic Animal Institute employs advanced imaging technologies operated by skilled professionals, guaranteeing the highest quality of care for our patients. Our experienced team uses the latest techniques to ensure your pet receives the best possible diagnostic care.
Have questions about our diagnostic services or want to schedule an appointment for your pet? Call us at 423-531-8899.