Diagnostics are vital for preventing disease, maintaining health, and treating ill or injured pets. These tools also assist with dental procedures and surgeries by helping us see below the surface and confirm that your pet is healthy before we administer anesthesia.
Whatever pet care your dog or cat needs, the advanced tools Country Brook Animal Hospital has on hand play an important role in keeping them well.
We currently utilize an in-house laboratory, echocardiograms for cardiology assessments, and tonometry for diagnosing your pet's potential eye problems.
How We Use Our In-House Laboratory
Lab testing is an essential way for us to gather more in-depth information about your pet’s health. This applies to both healthy pets and sick or injured pets. The types of testing we do most often include heartworm and tick-borne disease testing, fecal testing for internal parasites and other condition testing, and blood chemistry and complete blood counts for measuring red and white blood cells.
In addition to running tests in house, we also work with external labs for more specialized testing. We typically use our own lab when we have patients with urgent health concerns.
Cardiology & Echocardiography
Cardiology is the branch of veterinary medicine that treats your pet's heart and blood vessels, also known as the cardiovascular system. Issues we look for in cardiology are hypertension, heart failures and arrhythmias, disorders of heart valves, and cardiomyopathies (both dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy).
Additionally, since your pet's lungs and heart function together, Country brook Animal Hospital is also versed in diseases of the lungs and chest cavity.
If necessary, our veterinarians may refer your pet to a veterinary cardiologist for more advanced cardiology issues.
ECGs
Electrocardiography involves placing electrodes on your pet and measuring the electrical activity of their heart. This tool helps us monitor the function of your pet’s heart and detect abnormalities, such as heart murmur.
Tonometry & Diseases of the Eye
When your pet's eyes are checked during an exam, any findings may warrant another look. Country Brook Animal Hospital offers our clients the benefit of tonometry.
Using an instrument called a tonopen, our doctors are able to calculate and measure the pressure of the fluid of the eye. This is important for pets with suspected diseases of the eye, such as glaucoma.
If your pet has red, irritated eyes, has suffered head or eye trauma, or is being monitored for glaucoma, bring them in to for an additional eye screening.
