Pets can become ill or injured suddenly, and you may need emergency care during times when your vet office is not open. Problems such as severe dehydration, breathing difficulty, obvious pain, excessive bleeding, broken bones, seizures or unconsciousness need fast care to save the life of your pet. Emergency veterinary facilities have the equipment and skilled experience animals need when they have a life-threatening condition. At Waldorf Emergency Care in Waldorf, MD, we offer in-house laboratory services for fast and accurate diagnosis of veterinary health issues.
We can provide fecal testing to determine if your pet has internal parasites that are causing signs of illness, such as severe vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. These small parasites can make animals very sick and can be quickly treated with the proper medications once a diagnosis is made.
Urinalysis can help veterinarians determine if infection of the urinary tract is causing symptoms of frequent urination or painful urination. The test can also provide information about blood in the urine that could indicate a blockage in the urinary tract, such as a stone.
Blood tests are used to determine the levels of certain chemicals in the body that indicate problems with organ function. Some tests can detect anemia or infection in the body. Other tests can detect when the heart, liver, kidneys or pancreas are functioning poorly. These tests help the veterinarian to pinpoint specific problems in animals’ bodies that require treatment.
In some cases, tissue abnormalities can result in severe physical problems for animals. Cytology studies the tissue under a microscope to determine the severity of the problem and to determine the appropriate treatment that can help. Tissue may be extracted from the animal through biopsy, using a hollow needle to extract the cells.
