Dog Lab Work FAQs 1
Dr. Becka Byrd
Northern Oaks Bird & Animal Hospital and Heritage Oaks Animal Hospital
What can blood tests help a veterinarian detect?
Blood tests can help us detect a wide range of diseases such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, and Cushing's disease. These are conditions that we can't see from the outside. The lab tests assist us in confirming our suspicions and identify the correct treatment. They're a crucial part of the process in diagnosing and treating your pet correctly.
What type of lab tests do you use?
We run all the same tests that your human doctor runs. This includes cytologies, aspirates, blood tests, fecal exams, and urinalyses. All these tests help us put together a comprehensive picture that lets us diagnose your pet accurately and select the appropriate treatment.
How do you decide which tests to run?
The decision on which tests to run depends on the individual dog. For a healthy pet, we'll run a different set of tests than for a sick dog. The tests for a sick dog will be determined by the symptoms we're seeing and the specific needs to establish a diagnosis. Sometimes, the initial test results may lead us to more testing once we have a clearer picture of the direction we need to go. If we have a healthy pet and we run a test, our hope is to get all normal results. However, if that doesn't happen, then we realize we have something we need to treat.
How long does it take to get the results from dog lab tests back?
The time it takes to get the results back can vary. It depends on the type of tests we're running. Typically it's a few days, but it can take up to a week depending on which lab we send it to. If we send a DNA sample, that can take up to three weeks. So the time frame varies by the type of test and the lab we use. We appreciate your patience and will let you know as soon as we have the results.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (210) 496-1315, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram