General Medicine & Diagnostic Services 

Allergies - Allergic dermatitis can be a very frustrating condition for you and your pet. We understand this frustration, and will do our best to treat the problem with a variety of treatment options, and also give you tools to help limit flare-ups.  A multi-modal approach is often necessary to keep our furry friends with allergies comfortable! 

Controlling pain in our patients is of the utmost importance. We believe in using a variety of modalities to both alleviate arthritis pain and try to slow any progression. 

CBC (Complete Blood Count): The cells within blood are examined in the CBC. This test determines the number of erythrocytes (red blood cells), the number and type of leukocytes (white blood cells), and the number of platelets (thrombocytes).

Chemistry/Electrolytes: A chemistry panel (blood chem, chemistry screen) tests blood sugar, kidney function, liver function, electrolyte levels, GI enzymes, etc. Blood chemistries are run on the fluid part of the blood sample.

Urinalysis provides information about how well the kidneys are working and identifies inflammation and infection in the urinary system. It can also help to detect diabetes and can be useful in the diagnosis of cancer within the urinary system.

Cytology allows us to look at cells (often collected with a needle) under a microscope. This test helps diagnose various pathologies including infection, inflammation, and cancer.

Histopathology is similar to Cytology, but we look at thin slices of bodily tissue as opposed to individual cells. Histopathology often provides more definitive diagnoses than Cytology, but generally requires the patient to be sedated or anesthetized in order to obtain a tissue sample.

X-rays help diagnose soft tissue and/or orthopedic conditions. There are several advantages to Digital Radiography over traditional radiography, including less exposure to radiation, increased image quality, and the ability to save and send digital copies of X-rays with ease.

Electrocardiography is a non-invasive test that can help diagnose abnormalities in a patient’s heart rate and/or rhythm.

Did you know that pets can have high blood pressure as a primary disease process or secondary to an underlying illness (such as kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, Cushings, etc)? When indicated, we use an Ultrasonic Doppler instrument to measure blood pressure in our patients. We also measure blood pressure as part of our routine anesthetic monitoring.

Our ophthalmic diagnostic modalities include Fluorescein Corneal Staining, Schirmer Tear Testing, and Tonometry (Intraocular Pressure Testing).

Advanced imaging (ultrasound and echocardiogram) is often required to diagnose illness in pets. When one of our patients is in need of an Ultrasound or Echo, we have the ability to arrange for a specialist to perform this advanced imaging at our hospital. We can also facilitate referral to one of the many Specialty Hospitals in Jacksonville.

Countless specialized lab tests are available to our patients via Idexx Reference Laboratories.