Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Fort Pierce

Our Diagnostic Services in Fort Pierce

With our in-house veterinary diagnostics lab we are pleased to offer advanced diagnostic testing to allow our vets to provide an accurate diagnosis of your pet's medical issues.

• Radiography (Digital X-rays)

  Using a radiograph (digital X-ray), we can examine your pet's internal systems to reveal information that may be invisible from the outside. 

  Radiography is safe, painless and non-invasive. It uses only very low doses of radiation. Because the level of radiation exposure required to perform radiography is very low, even pregnant females and very young pets can undergo this procedure. 

  Radiographs can be used to evaluate bones and organs, and diagnose conditions including broken bones, chronic arthritis, bladder stones, spinal cord diseases and some tumors.

  We can consult with a board-certified radiologist in a few hours to evaluate skeletal structures, gastrointestinal patterns, organ shape and size to help develop a treatment plan or assess the next diagnostic steps.

• Ultrasound

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

  With ultrasound imaging, we expose part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the inside of the body. 

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

  Having this valuable technology available to our vets in our in-house lab means that your dog or cat's condition can be diagnosed quickly and treatment can start sooner. 

• Endoscopy

  An endoscope is comprised of a very tiny camera with a light attached to the end of a flexible tube.

  When we perform an endoscopy, a long, thin tube is inserted directly into the body to observe an internal organ or tissue in detail.

  Minimally invasive endoscopes can be inserted into the openings of the body such as the mouth or anus.

  With our scopes, we can offer bronchoscopy, rhinoscopy, and endoscopy to retrieve foreign bodies, perform less invasive histopathology and cytology sample collection, and as an imaging modality to evaluate for ulcerations or masses.

• MRI

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses a powerful magnetic field, a computer, and radio waves to provide your veterinarian with high-resolution, detailed images of your pet's soft tissues such as the brain, spinal cord, ligaments, tendons, and abdominal organs.

  When it comes to many soft tissue injuries or diseases, veterinary MRI often provides a more detailed picture of your animal's body than other diagnostic imaging tools are able to provide.

  Our vets can then examine these images on a computer monitor or print them. 

  Some conditions that MRI can help to diagnose and treat include spinal issues such as tumors, herniated discs or stenosis; brain tumors and inflammation; strokes; musculoskeletal diseases and injuries including cranial cruciate ligament injuries; and abdominal conditions including organ enlargement or tumors. 

• Bloodwork

  At our vet lab in Fort Pierce we are able to run a number of common and specialized blood tests to determine the health of your pet, 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, hematocrit, platelets, eosinophils, and blood serum profile. 

• Lacuna In-house Cytology

  Cytology is the microscopic examination of tissue. It is a powerful tool used for evaluating abdominal free fluid, pericardial effusion, anemia, cell morphology. In many cases, cytology can provide a definitive diagnosis for cutaneous masses.

  With our Lacuna in-house cytology, we can offer same-day or next-day results from pathologists for blood and fluid analysis.

• Urinalysis

  Urinalysis is a key diagnostic test that provides your vet with essential insights into the physical and chemical properties of your pet's urine.

  Urinalysis is primarily used to assess the health of your animal's kidneys and urinary tract system, but it can also be helpful in detecting issues in other organ systems and is important for diagnosing metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

  This is a valuable diagnostic test for both healthy and sick animals and should be included in any comprehensive evaluation of your pet's overall health. 

• Fecal Exams

  A fecal exam is the microscopic examination of your pet's feces, which can be done at our in-house vet lab in Fort Pierce.

  The ultimate goal of a fecal exam is to identify and treat any GI infections that could be compromising your pet's health and even the health of your family. Fecals allow your vet to determine if your pet has intestinal parasites such as roundworms or hookworms. 

  Parasites can make pets uncomfortable, irritable, and lead to more serious conditions. Some can even be transmitted to humans.

  Since these parasites live in your pet’s gastrointestinal tract, they are often hidden from view. The only way to detect them is with a fecal exam.

  Annual fecal examines should be a vital part of every pet's routine wellness exam.  

• CT Scans

  CT (computed tomography) Scans combine X-Ray images and computer technology to help us identify and diagnose numerous diseases and disorders in your pet's body. They have become an essential imaging tool used in veterinary medicine.

• ECG / EKG

  If your veterinarian performs a physical examination and suspects your pet may have a heart disorder, we usually take chest X-Rays and an electrocardiogram (ECG / EKG).

  This procedure can be completed easily and quickly. It reveals data that may be integral to your pet's diagnosis. In other cases, a cardiac ultrasound may be required to identify disorders in the chambers of the heart.

• Fluoroscopy

  Fluoroscopy is a kind of diagnostic imaging that allows veterinarians to observe the inside of your pet's body while in motion. Veterinarians often use fluoroscopy to 'see' moving body systems like the heart, respiratory system, and digestive system. They also can be used to diagnose conditions, such as collapse of the trachea during breathing, or disorders of swallowing.

  Unlike X-rays, where your cat or dog usually has to be put under anesthesia in order to keep them still enough to take clear images, fluoroscopy can capture an 'X-ray movie' to watch and replay to diagnose internal conditions that X-rays might miss.