For your pet’s veterinary care, being able to perform all services under one roof provides numerous benefits, especially when diagnostic testing is necessary. Read on to discover why our Memorial Animal Hospital team is thrilled that we can offer in-house diagnostic testing to our patients and clients.

#1: In-house diagnostic equipment reduces your pet’s stress

Veterinary hospital teams often try to save clients money by “stair-stepping” tests, meaning they perform one diagnostic test to see if they can make an accurate diagnosis before they conduct additional tests. However, without in-house diagnostic equipment, this cost-saving method can quickly lead to multiple visits that can be extremely stressful for your pet.

While some pets love car rides and visiting their veterinarian, the majority—especially cats—would prefer to stay home or travel elsewhere. Frequent veterinary visits for diagnostic tests, therapeutic drug monitoring, and treatment response can stress pets and their owners, but our team can save you and your furry pal the frequent visits, more samples, and more tests because of our in-house diagnostics. 

#2: In-house diagnostic equipment saves you time

General veterinary practices typically hold normal business hours, with slightly extended periods for evening prescription and pet pickup. Some hospitals may stay open until 6 p.m., but the actual appointments end earlier to ensure veterinary teams have time to examine, diagnose, and treat their last patient. 

Because of these hours, you may have to take time off from work for your pet’s appointment, and then they may need diagnostic testing if they are ill or have a chronic condition that requires regular monitoring. Normally, you would need multiple appointments to complete all necessary testing and would miss many hours of work, which may not be feasible. With our in-house laboratory, we can perform most of the required tests at a single appointment—which you and your boss will appreciate.

#3: In-house diagnostic equipment saves you money

While diagnostic equipment comes with a hefty price tag, the equipment in general veterinary practices is nowhere near as costly as those in specialty outside laboratories. Large laboratories, like Antech, Abaxis, and IDEXX, house top-of-the-line diagnostic equipment that is capable of running highly specialized tests and exceptionally pricey, which raises test costs. 

To make veterinary care attainable for more pet owners, hospitals purchase their own diagnostic equipment so they can conduct crucial testing at a fraction of the price. We can often perform the same tests as an outside laboratory at a greatly reduced cost, and we pass those savings on to you.

#4: In-house diagnostic equipment provides rapid results

Whether your pet is tested for annual wellness screening or because they are ill, you want to know their health status as soon as possible. The typical wait time for test results from an outside laboratory is at least three to five business days, plus shipping time. Pets who are sick often can’t wait that long for us to diagnose their illness and start treatment without their condition declining.

With our in-house diagnostic equipment, we can often have results in less than a half hour. We can quickly obtain results for tests that include:

  • Blood work (e.g., complete blood count, blood chemistry profile, thyroid levels, blood sugar)
  • X-rays
  • Ultrasound
  • Fecal exams
  • Urinalysis
  • Skin, ear, and mass cytology
  • Vector-borne disease testing
  • Infectious disease testing

#5: In-house diagnostic equipment guides treatment plans

An accurate diagnosis is essential to determine the appropriate treatment. For example, your dog may present with a raging hunger and thirst but, without diagnostic testing, we would not be able to diagnose diabetes or Cushing’s disease. With our in-house laboratory, we can diagnose the cause of your pet’s problems and begin treatment the same day. 

In-house diagnostics also allow us to change your pet’s treatment plan during a therapeutic drug monitoring visit. For example, if your pet takes daily medication for a chronic condition such as epilepsy, arthritis, endocrine disorders, or heart disease, they may need their drug doses or medications changed to minimize side effects and stay healthy. Conducting these monitoring tests in our hospital during your pet’s appointment ensures we send you home with the correct medication at the appropriate dose.

Our practice also outsources some tests for wellness screenings and more advanced diagnostics to provide your pet with the best possible care. 

Whether your pet is healthy or ill, they can benefit from our in-house diagnostic testing capabilities. Give our Memorial Animal Hospital team a call to schedule your pet’s appointment and take advantage of our cutting-edge in-house laboratory.