Diagnostics

Laboratory and diagnostic testing are essential tools in the veterinary industry. In many situations, having laboratory results in minutes is essential when diagnosing your pet’s condition. Whether the issue is an ear infection or traumatic injury, Dedham Veterinary Associates’ state-of-the-art in-house diagnostic equipment is one of the main steps in providing your pet with the highest quality of veterinary care. For those diagnostic tests that can only be performed by an outside laboratory (such as bladder/kidney stone analysis, biopsies, maintenance of thyroid conditions autoimmune diseases, and allergy testing), we work closely with the top laboratories in the industry.

Radiographs (x-rays) are an imperative diagnostic tool within all types of medicine, especially in the veterinary field where our patients cannot verbalize when something is bothering them. Radiographic technology has advanced greatly over the past few years and we are proud to offer digital radiographs as a leading part of our diagnostic imaging.

Digital radiographs take an image of a certain part of your pet’s body. The x-rays are passed through your pet’s body producing a digital image. Radiographs are a helpful tool when diagnosing many different conditions including the heart, lungs, and abdominal organs as well as the skeletal system.

Digital Radiograph Benefits:

  • Decreased radiation to your pet
  • Time efficiency from bypassing chemical processing
  • Increased image quality
  • Instant viewability
  • Transferable via CD or email
  • Less harmful to the environment

Ultrasound: There are certain medical situations where your veterinarian may recommend your pet have an ultrasound. Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to take a two or three-dimensional image of the area being studied. The sound is reflected off of internal structures. The returning echoes are then received by the transducer and converted by an electronic instrument into an image on a monitor. The images can be printed or recorded on videotape. Ultrasounds are used within the veterinary field to diagnose abdominal issues such as kidney, liver, or intestinal tract-related illnesses and thoracic (the heart) exams.No pain is felt during an ultrasound exam. However, discomfort from pressure may be experienced. Our fully trained team makes every effort to ensure that your pet is as comfortable as possible during their procedure. In general, animals do not need to be anesthetized for this procedure.

Along with having in-house ultrasound capabilities for bladder ultrasounds, cytology guided by ultrasound and pregnancy checks, we also work closely with a traveling board-certified cardiologist and internal medicine veterinarian. This relationship will help your veterinarian fully diagnose your pet’s condition and start the correct and best treatment plan quickly.