Unfortunately, our beloved pets can’t tell us when they are unwell. We depend on their behaviour, clinical examination and testing to determine when disease and disorders are present. Often, blood tests can reveal early stages of disease that may not be outwardly apparent. In such cases we can act to delay or prevent the onset of disease, improving quality and quantity of life.
In addition to our blood machines and microscope, we can use an ultrasound, ECG and digital X-ray machine. Click on this link to read more about them. These are an essential tool for our diagnostics. For any further diagnostic testing and pathology services, we send our samples to Gribbles Veterinary laboratory, located in Christchurch.
In-house Laboratory
In-house blood machines help us assess the function of the blood cells and internal organs (i.e liver and kidney function), check red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. We can run a complete blood work-up on your pet using a small amount of blood. A complete blood work-up includes:
- Biochemistry panel with the Catalyst One
- ProCyte CBC (Complete Blood Count)
Additional tests:
- In-house T4 panels (for diagnosing and monitoring T4 levels in hyperthyroid cats)
- New SDMA (earlier diagnosin, managing and monitoring of kidney disease)
- Fructosamine (management of diabetics)
We also have tests available for Feline Aids Virus, Leukaemia, and Giardia, and can perform in-house urine-analysis.
Microscope
A microscope is used to look at cells from lumps to identify the type e.g. cancerous, infectious, cystic. Urine sediment can be checked for crystals and signs of infection. Skin scraping is used to look for mites, yeast and bacteria.