Diagnostic Services
Laboratory Testing
Since your sick pet cannot tell us what is wrong, veterinarians must sometimes supplement physical exams with sophisticated diagnostic testing. Harden Ranch Veterinary Hospital is equipped with a complete, sophisticated diagnostic laboratory that allows us to measure more than 100 laboratory values, with results often available in a few minutes. In addition, we work with several outside referral labs if your pet requires specialized testing.
Along with heartworm testing, complete blood count, blood-chemistry panel, urinalysis and fecal examination are the most common laboratory tests performed at our hospital.
Digital Radiology
Radiographs (X-rays) are useful in evaluating a number of areas of your pet's body including musculo-skeletal, cardiovascular (cardiopulmonary), gastrointestinal, reproductive and urinary systems. With the advent of digital radiography, our hospital is able to take high-quality, digital x-rays of your pet. Harden Ranch Veterinary Hospital is equipped with a state-of-the-art digital radiography unit. Digital radiographs are extremely helpful for diagnosing and monitoring many medical and surgical problems.
The advantages of digital radiology are many. The time spent taking your pets' radiographs is significantly shortened and fewer pictures need to be taken to achieve diagnostic-quality results. This means less stress for your pet, making their experience much more pleasant! If a second opinion is necessary, digital radiographs can be e-mailed to a veterinary radiology specialist, making consults much easier and faster than by sending them by regular mail. In addition, the diagnostic quality of digital images is much better than traditional radiographs.
Ultrasound
We are proud to offer ultrasound, a non-invasive, state-of-the-art technology that uses sound waves to produces a visual map of the interior of the body for painlessly examining specific internal organs, primarily the heart and abdominal organs. Ultrasound can be used for the targeted biopsies of diseased organs such as the liver, spleen, kidneys or prostate. Ultrasound is also used to diagnose pregnancy and for counting the number of puppies or kittens in the mother's uterus.
Endoscopy
Endoscopy is an extremely useful procedure which aids in the diagnosis and treatment of problems occurring in the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tracts. With an endoscope, we can perform a more complete examination of the GI tract, including the esophagus, stomach, and some areas of the intestine.
With the use of an endoscope, the veterinarian can visualize areas that would normally not be accessible without invasive surgery. The scope is equipped with a lighted camera and pictures are transferred to a monitor. Using the scope, the veterinarian can diagnose gastrointestinal disorders, cancerous growths, polyps and much more.
The endoscope is also useful in obtaining biopsy samples. When performing a biopsy under such conditions, the endoscope serves as the "eye" of the veterinarian. This procedure is extremely helpful in obtaining biopsies of the stomach, small intestine and colon and looking for cancer of the esophagus or stomach.
Another function of the endoscope is to aid the veterinarian in the removal of foreign objects. A foreign object is anything that does not belong in the animal's GI tract. Often, animals swallow things that they should not, including toys, buttons, and even sewing needles. Using the endoscope as a guide, the veterinarian may be able to remove such objects, rather than resorting to major surgery.
Even though anesthesia is required to keep your pet still during the endoscopic procedure, the amount of anesthesia and recovery time is greatly reduced. Endoscopy is often indicated when routine blood and urine tests, radiographs and ultrasound do not give the complete diagnostic picture.
Bronchoscopy
Bronchoscopy is a procedure in which a cylindrical fiberoptic scope is inserted into the airways. This scope contains a viewing device that allows the visual examination of the lower airways (trachea and lungs) and is used to detect and identify structural abnormalities, abnormal airway secretions, foreign bodies and masses including certain tumors.
There are two types of bronchoscopes, a rigid tube and a fiberoptic tube. Because of its flexibility, the fiberoptic tube is usually preferred.
Heavy sedation or anesthesia is required to perform bronchoscopy on our veterinary patients. Once the animal is anesthetized, the bronchoscope is passed into the trachea from the oral cavity.
If the purpose of the bronchoscopy is to take tissue samples or biopsies, forceps or a bronchial brush are used. If the purpose is to identify an infectious agent, a bronchoalveolar lavage can be used to gather fluid for culture and identification purposes. If a foreign body is seen, special grasping forceps are used for its removal, eliminating the need for more complicated surgery.
The side effects of bronchoscopy are generally minimal. Minor side effects arise from the bronchoscope causing abrasion of the lining of the airways. This results in some swelling and inflammation, as well as hoarseness caused from abrading the vocal cords. Some coughing may also result from the procedure.
Due to the minimum health risks and the diagnostic benefits, bronchoscopy is an exceptionally beneficial procedure for diagnosing lower respiratory problems in our companion pet patients.