Cherokee Hospital for Animals is proud to offer in-house laboratory testing for our clients. Our laboratory is located on-site to provide rapid and accurate diagnostic results for many routine tests such as urinalysis and complete blood count.
Some test results can be ready in as little as 15 minutes. Others may take a little longer, and we can give you a call to update you on the results at your convenience.
Other veterinary practices must ship their samples to a third party laboratory, wait for them to process the results, and then wait to hear back. Our process cuts out the middleman to save both money and time.
Here are a few more examples of common tests we are able to perform on the premises:
Thyroid tests: The thyroid gland is vital to the regulation of a healthy metabolism. If a pet is hyper- or hypothyroid, the symptoms can be severe and include rapid weight loss or gain, inability to regulate energy levels, and more. As pets age, it becomes increasingly important to monitor the health of their thyroid gland.
Complete Blood Chemistry Panel: This is a series of blood tests performed to gain information about a specific organ such as the kidneys, liver, or pancreas.
Electrolytes Testing: Electrolytes include sodium, potassium, chloride, and other vital compounds. This test can inform our veterinary doctors about the pet’s hydration levels, bone metabolism, and general health.
Fecal Exam: This test can detect if the pet is carrying any intestinal parasites by analyzing the feces. For this test, we ask that the owner bring in a recent sample at the time of their appointment. If it is decided at a later point that a fecal test is necessary, you can drop a sample off for testing during our regular business hours at your convenience.
Radiography is the practice of using waves to create an image of the distribution of the body. All around us everyday, there are millions of different kinds of waves bouncing around in the environment. The only ones we can see with our eyes are light waves. Other waves include x-ray waves, microwaves, ultrasound waves, and so on.
By using x-ray waves to “see” the body instead of light waves, veterinarians are able to visualize the musculoskeletal system of patients. X-rays can diagnose afflictions such as arthritis, bone fractures, pneumonia, and many more.
X-rays are a non-invasive and completely safe technology. The pet in most cases does not have to be sedated. They are only held still for a few minutes while our machine produces the image.
At our facility, we use digital x-ray technology instead of traditional film x-rays. Digital x-rays have many benefits, such as:
Digital radiography can be a life-saving diagnostic tool for some patients. Trained veterinary radiographers can discover serious conditions and intervene without the need for an invasive procedure such as surgery using x-ray waves.
Ultrasounds use another type of waves to create images of the distribution of the body: sound waves. Often, ultrasounds and x-rays are used in conjunction with each other to provide a full array of diagnostic information. Unlike x-rays, the images produced by ultrasound technology are 3D real-time videos. Therefore, they can offer priceless diagnostic information about internal structures.
Ultrasounds can diagnose conditions such as bladder stones, pregnancies, abnormalities of the heart and lungs, foreign body ingestion, intestinal disorders, cancer, and more. Just like x-rays, ultrasounds are completely non-invasive and do not require the pet to be sedated in most cases.
The process of getting an ultrasound is simple and safe. If the pet is long-haired, it may be necessary to shave the area the doctor must access. Once the doctor has access to the correct location of the body, they will administer a cooling gel to the skin and use their instrument to gently rub against the area.
After the ultrasounds, the patient can go home the same day, and the mystery of their ailment will most likely be solved thanks to this ground-breaking technology.
Dermatitis is the general term for any affliction of the skin. Dermatitis can be caused by allergies, skin cancer, hormonal disorders, autoimmune diseases, tumors, or infections. If your pet suffers from dermatitis, they are likely irritated and uncomfortable. Just like when a human has allergies, it is enough to upset the mood and dampen the spirits.
At Cherokee Hospital for Animals, we would like to help animals who are victims of allergies and other dermatological conditions to find relief.
If you are worried your pet might be suffering from a dermatological condition, pay attention for these signs:
If you notice several of these symptoms, or one or two to an extreme, it might be time to call our warm office assistants and make an appointment to discuss the matter with a veterinarian.
To diagnose the cause of the dermatitis, the veterinarian will begin with a physical examination. Then, they will order some tests to check their hypotheses about what could be causing the irritation.
One of the most common causes of dermatological conditions are allergies. Thankfully, there are many methods of treating allergies which range from injections to simple avoidance of the allergen. If this is the case, the doctor will will order testing to confirm their hypotheses.
Here are a few of the most common pet allergens:
Located directly outside of Buffalo Mountain Park and just off of University Parkway.
Phone: 423-928-7272
