In-House Diagnostics

We offer in-house diagnostic services that allow us to quickly and accurately diagnose and treat various health conditions.

Our state-of-the-art diagnostic tools include blood tests, urinalysis, fecal exams, X-rays, ultrasound, and more. By performing these tests on-site, we can obtain results quickly and start treatment promptly, saving you time and minimizing your pet’s discomfort.

Digital Radiographs

A radiograph, or an x-ray, is a black-and-white, two-dimensional image that is created when controlled radiation passes through a body structure and is then recorded on a film or digital plate. It is a great way to analyze structures with different densities (such as air and bone) but is poor at noting subtle changes in tissue density, such as when looking at organs in the abdomen. Common uses of radiographs include looking for bone fractures, GI foreign bodies, fluid accumulations, and lung disease.

At Lowell Road Veterinary Center, we use digital x-rays, where we get improved imaging and contrast and increased ease of magnifying images over regular film. This allows us to make better evaluations about your pet’s health and decrease your pet’s exposure to radiation.

Digital radiography also enables us to quickly send our images out to a board-certified radiologist for consultation.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a painless, safe, non-invasive procedure used to visualize the internal organs of your pet. It works by using high-frequency sound waves to produce a moving, real-time picture of your pet’s organs with more tissue detail than can be detected by X-rays. The procedure takes around 30-60 minutes, and a diagnosis based on what was seen is usually available immediately.

Typically, no sedation is needed. They are great a great tool to help us asses the shape, size, and thickness of abdominal organs. For this reason, they are routinely used to diagnose and monitor response to treatment of liver and gall bladder disease, kidney and bladder disease, gastrointestinal disorders and obstructions, tumors and cancers, and bleeding disorders. They can also be used to visualize the heartbeats of puppies and kittens during pregnancy and to help provide safe and accurate biopsies.

The quality of an ultrasound and the amount of information that can be gained is highly dependent on the operator. At Lowell Road Veterinary Center, ultrasounds are performed by an Internal Medicine specialist. Not only does this ensure that a quality ultrasound will be performed on your pet, but provides an internal medicine consult in addition to an ultrasound.