Veterinary Technology

Our Diagnostic Services 

We are pleased to offer advanced diagnostic testing through our in-house veterinary diagnostics lab, allowing our veterinarians to provide an accurate diagnosis of your animal's medical issues.

• Radiography (Digital X-rays)

  We can examine your animal's internal systems with a radiograph (digital x-ray) to reveal information that may be invisible from the outside.

  Radiography is a non-invasive, painless procedure. It only employs very low doses of radiation. Because the level of radiation exposure required for radiography is so low, even pregnant animals and very young pets can have this procedure performed.

  Radiographs can be used to assess bones and organs as well as diagnose conditions such as broken bones, chronic arthritis, bladder stones, spinal cord diseases, and some tumors.

  For large animals, such as horses and cattle, we can use digital x-rays to assess ligament injuries so we can provide treatment sooner.

• Ultrasound

  The use of diagnostic imaging allows our team of veterinary professionals to create extremely detailed images of your animal's internal structures.

  We use ultrasound imaging to produce images of the inside of the body by exposing a portion of it to high-frequency sound waves.

  We can see the structure and movement of your animal's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through the blood vessels because we capture ultrasound images in real-time.

  Because our veterinarians have access to this valuable technology in our in-house lab, your animal's condition can be diagnosed quickly and treatment can begin sooner.

  For farm animals and horses, we can use our ultrasound technology for early pregnancy detection.

• Endoscopy

  An endoscope is a small camera with a light attached to the end of a flexible tube.

  An endoscopy is a procedure in which a long, thin tube is inserted directly into the body to examine an internal organ or tissue in great detail.

  Endoscopes that are minimally invasive can be inserted into body openings such as the mouth or anus.

• Surgical Lasers

  In veterinary laser surgery, a highly focused laser beam is used to efficiently vaporize or chip away the tissue. The laser seals the capillaries, small blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerve endings as it performs this task.

  Surgical lasers can reduce bleeding, pain, and your animal's risk of infection, resulting in a shorter recovery period for many of our patients.

• Bloodwork

  At our vet lab in Columbia, we can run several common and specialized blood tests to determine the health of your animal, and to diagnose illness.

  Some of the most common veterinary blood tests we do are CBC (complete blood count), white blood count, hemoglobin and MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration), hematocrit, platelets, eosinophils, and blood serum profile. 

• Urinalysis

  Urinalysis is a critical diagnostic test that provides your veterinarian with important information about the physical and chemical properties of your animal's urine.

  Urinalysis is primarily used to evaluate the health of your animal's kidneys and urinary tract system, but it can also be useful in detecting problems in other organ systems and is critical in diagnosing metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.

  This is an important diagnostic test for both healthy and sick animals, and it should be included in any comprehensive assessment of your animal's overall health.

• Fecal Exams

  A fecal exam is a microscopic examination of your animal's feces that can be performed at our Columbia vet lab.

  The ultimate goal of a fecal exam is to identify and treat any GI infections that may be threatening the health of your animal. Fecals enable your veterinarian to determine whether your pet has intestinal parasites like roundworms or hookworms.

  Parasites can cause discomfort and irritability, as well as lead to more serious conditions. Some are even transmissible to humans.

  These parasites are often hidden from view because they live in your animal's gastrointestinal tract. A fecal exam is the only way to detect them.

  Annual fecal examinations should be a vital part of every animal's routine wellness exam.  

• ECG / EKG

  We usually take chest X-Rays and an electrocardiogram (ECG / EKG) if your veterinarian performs a physical examination and suspects your animal has a heart disorder.

  This procedure is simple and quick to complete. It reveals information that may be critical to your animal's diagnosis. In other cases, a cardiac ultrasound may be required to identify problems in the heart's chambers.

• Digital Dental X-Rays

  If your animal has periodontal disease, much of the damage occurs below the gum line, where it is difficult to see. Our veterinarians can assess your animal's oral health using digital dental X-rays.

  Digital X-Rays are less dangerous. They enable our veterinary team to examine the roots, bones and internal anatomy of your animal's teeth.

  The risk of radiation exposure for your pet is significantly lower with digital X-Rays than with traditional X-Ray technology.

  This technology allows your Columbia vet to immediately see results and then project them onto a computer screen for review.