In-House Diagnostics
Internal Medicine
At Ardsley Veterinary Associates, we provide medical services that include Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Dermatology, Ophthalmology and Cardiology. When required, we can help provide access to specialists in individual fields or medicine.
Diagnostic Imaging
At Ardsley Vets, we have the latest in digital X-ray technology. Using digital imaging reduces the amount or radiation received by your pet and allows for the highest quality images just seconds after shooting. Digital images also allows us to email images to referring veterinarians and specialist all over the country with just the click of the mouse.
Diagnostic Laboratory Tests
Veterinarians have many different diagnostic tools available to them today. Technology has improved vastly in recent years, making it easier than ever to provide the best care to your pet. Generally, your vet will start with the least invasive test that will provide the answers needed. Many of these tests cause no or very little discomfort to your animal.
Blood Work
One of the easiest and quickest ways to find out what’s going on inside your pet’s body is blood work. Blood is obtained from a vein, usually from your pet’s leg. Your pet will only feel a tiny prick of the needle, for just a second.
Blood cell counts can be done quickly and reveal quite a lot. High white blood cells may indicate a bacterial infection, while low white red blood cell counts could mean a virus or an immune system problem. Low red blood cell counts indicate anemia.
Routine blood tests include feline leukemia and heartworm. These tests should be done during your pet’s first wellness visit. If the tests come back negative, cats can be vaccinated for leukemia and dogs can be placed on monthly heartworm prevention.
For older pets, blood analysis can measure how well the kidneys and other organs are functioning. These tests should be done during regular wellness checks. The first test will be used to establish a baseline to compare to if your pet is sick later. Pets should be brought in for wellness checks, once or twice a year, depending on their age and health status.
Fecal Analysis
Much can be learned from examining your animal’s feces. The color and consistency of the feces will yield clues to the pet’s health.
The fecal sample will be examined under a microscope to determine if parasites are present and if so what course of treatment to pursue. Other things the technician will look for include blood in the stool, mucous, and other things, such as pieces of plastic or other non-food items that indicate your pet ate something they should not have eaten.
Urinalysis
Examining your pet’s urine can uncover many problems before your pet even shows any symptoms of disease or disorders like diabetes. First, the technician will look at the color, consistency, clarity, and other visual characteristics. Then they will check for the presence of protein, blood, crystals, and other things that should not be found in a healthy animal’s urine.
During your visit or when you make the appointment, ask the veterinarian or staff member how to collect a urine sample from your pet. If you can’t collect it yourself there are other methods for obtaining the urine, depending on the type of animal.
Other lab tests
The veterinarian can examine swabs taken from ears or skin scrapings to examine under the microscope. Problems such as ear mites, ringworm, infections, even some cancers can be quickly diagnosed.