Advanced Diagnostic Services
Radiographs
Radiographs (X-rays) are extremely helpful for diagnosing and monitoring many medical and surgical conditions. X-rays are useful in examining your pet’s bones, lungs, heart, abdomen, oral cavity and other areas of the body. An X-ray can spot a fractured bone, detect tumors, help with the diagnosis of heartworm disease, or locate an obstruction or foreign body in your pet’s intestine or stomach. When used in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures like ultrasound, X-rays can accurately diagnose problems, making treatment faster and easier for your pet and your veterinarian.
Progressive Animal Wellness utilizes state-of-the-art computerized X-ray technologies and is up-to-date on the latest radiographic procedures. Our instant read, high-detail digital X-rays reduce both patient stress and client wait times. Because we can send our X-rays electronically, we can consult with specialists quickly, when necessary.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a pain-free, completely non-invasive technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce a real-time image of your pet’s internal organs. Often considered more detailed than X-rays, ultrasound provides a live movie of what is happening inside your pet’s body.
Particularly useful in viewing your pet’s abdominal organs including the spleen, kidneys, liver, and gallbladder, ultrasound can also be used to evaluate heart functions, bladder scans, and other areas such as the thyroid glands, testicles, and mammary glands.
Ultrasound also works well in conjunction with other diagnostic tools and procedures. For example, if an X-ray shows a lesion on your pet, an ultrasound can determine the origin of the lesion and whether it has spread elsewhere in your pet’s body. Using the ultrasound image as a guide, surgical biopsies can be obtained without major surgery and your pet can often go home the same day. Ultrasounds are typically not stressful for your pet and take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes to perform.
PAW is up-to-date on ultrasound procedures, which include abdominal sonograms, pericardiocentesis, pregnancy checks and evaluations, and ultrasound-guided biopsies. We are also able to seek out timely consultations with specialists when necessary.
Our Lab
Performing preventive medicine as well as diagnosing emergent internal health issues requires the ability to perform a wide range of laboratory tests on blood, urine, feces, and biopsied tissue. Without timely access to precise laboratory test results it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis or assessment of your pet’s health.
PAW maintains a complete in-house laboratory, which offers point-of-care diagnostic capabilities when treating a sick or injured pet. Our laboratory allows us to perform urinalysis, parasite identification, fungal cultures, blood chemistry testing, and more. In some cases, we can receive results within minutes. We also use our lab to properly evaluate every surgical case prior to the administration of anesthesia.