Veterinary Technology

Our Diagnostic Services 

With our in-house veterinary diagnostics lab, we are pleased to offer advanced diagnostic testing to allow our vets to provide an accurate diagnosis of your pet's medical issues.

• Ultrasound

  We are proud to partner with Synergy Veterinary Imaging Partners, who provide our ultrasound services.

  The use of diagnostic imaging allows them to create extremely detailed images of your pet's internal structures.

  With ultrasound imaging, we expose part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the inside of the body. 

  Because we capture ultrasound images in real-time, we can 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 means that your dog or cat's condition can be diagnosed quickly and treatment can start sooner. 

• MRI

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses a powerful magnetic field, a computer, and radio waves to provide your veterinarian with high-resolution, detailed images of your pet's soft tissues such as the brain, spinal cord, ligaments, tendons, and abdominal organs.

  When it comes to many soft tissue injuries or diseases, veterinary MRI often provides a more detailed picture of your animal's body than other diagnostic imaging tools can provide.

  Our vets can then examine these images on a computer monitor or print them. 

  Some conditions that MRI can help to diagnose and treat include spinal tissues such as tumors, herniated discs or stenosis; brain tumors and inflammation; strokes; musculoskeletal diseases and injuries including cranial cruciate ligament injuries; and abdominal conditions including organ enlargement or tumors. 

• Bloodwork and Blood Chemistry

  At our vet lab in Gaithersburg, we can run several 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, hematocrit, platelets, eosinophils, and blood serum profile. 

  A blood chemistry test measures things like electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium, and chloride), fats, proteins, glucose (sugar), and enzymes in the blood.

  A blood chemistry test can show how well a pet's kidney, liver, and organs are working. An abnormal amount of substance can be indicative of disease.

• Urinalysis

  Urinalysis is a key diagnostic test that provides your vet with essential insights into the physical and chemical properties of your pet's urine.

  Urinalysis is primarily used to assess the health of your animal's kidneys and urinary tract system, but it can also help detect issues 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 animals and should be included in any comprehensive evaluation of your pet's overall health. 

• CT Scans

  CT (computed tomography) Scans combine X-Ray images and computer technology to help us identify and diagnose numerous diseases and disorders in your pet's body. They have become an essential imaging tool used in veterinary medicine.

• Coagulation Analysis

  Coagulation tests measure the blood's ability to successfully clot, and how long it takes to clot.

  This test helps your vet to determine your pet's risk of blood clots, which can lead to thrombosis, heart attacks, and other serious conditions.

• STAT Lab Tests

  Put simply, STAT Lab Tests are tests that must be performed right away to obtain critical treatment information for the patient.

• Viral Screening/Testing

  Viral Screening tests look for the presence of viral antigens in a blood sample. Your vet uses a special kit for this test. The test kit changes color if it detects a particular antigen.

• Biopsies

  We partner with Eastern Vet Pathology for biopsies and other pathology treatments.

  A biopsy is a sample of tissue taken for further examination. If a certain of the skin looks abnormal, the vet will usually recommend a biopsy.

  The abnormal tissue can be detected during a normal physical exam or internally during an imaging test.

• Cytology

  We refer patients to Eastern Vet Pathology for cytology.

  Cytology is an exam of a single-cell type mainly used to screen for cancer. However, it can also detect for detail abnormalities and diagnose infectious organisms your pet more have contracted.

• Electroretinography

  An Electroretinography (ERG) measures the electrical response of the light-sensitive cells in the eye.

  A vet may perform an ERG to see the health of your pet's retina, or to assess the need for certain eye surgeries (to remove cataracts, for example).

• Tonometry

  A Tonometry is a simple test that checks the pressure of your pet's eyes. This helps determine whether your pet is at risk for vision loss.