Skip to main content

Health Screening Tests

Home » All Services » Health Screening Tests

Jul 25
Love0

Health Screenings

By

Accurate Results through Health Screen

At Minden Animal Hospital we are proud to have a state-of-the-art in-house laboratory. We work closely with an international company called IDEXX Laboratories. We have their brand of CBC (complete blood count) and chemistry analyzers as well as their urine analyzer. These in-house machines allow us to get accurate results on your pets’ bloodwork and urine testing with same day results. This is especially important when your pet is sick and we need this information right away to make a correct diagnosis. We are also able to check your pets’ stool for intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, coccidia or giardia and get their treatment started immediately.

Even in apparent health, these tests can catch disease processes early. Many diseases will only show clinical signs once your pet is quite far progressed. By having a baseline of normal for your pet at a young age and trending changes, diseases such as diabetes, pancreatitis, Cushings, liver disease and kidney disease can be caught and treated at an earlier stage and improve their prognosis long-term.

Because the kidneys are your body’s filter system, checking a urine is another way to catch early signs of disease. Checking your pets’ urine sample can screen your pet for diabetes, bladder stones, infection, kidney disease and more.

Ask us about our wellness plans which include bloodwork and urine testing with various payment options so that you can be confident your pet is as healthy as you think they are!

Jul 25
Love0

Tick Identification

By

Ticks are a growing concern in our area, along with many other areas our clients and patients travel to. Some of these ticks can carry and transmit diseases. Currently the most prevalent issue in our area is Lyme disease spread by the blacklegged tick, aka the deer tick – Ixodes scapularlis.

If you find a tick on your dog – please bring them into us and we will remove the tick for you. It is important to ensure you remove all of the tick, including its mouth parts to avoid creating an abscess in your pet.

After the tick is removed from your pet we can help to identify the species and whether or not your pet may have been at risk for transmission of diseases. In order for transmission to occur – the tick had to be attached and engorged (have your pets blood in it); and as mentioned, certain species of ticks are associated with specific diseases.

If there is risk of disease transmission, we will discuss testing options – either sending the tick out for testing, or testing for your pet in 4-6 weeks. The delay in testing your pet is because we have to wait to see if antibodies are created, secondary to exposure.

Finally, if your pet has been bitten by a tick, it is clearly going into areas of risk and can benefit from a tick preventative product. We have several very effective products to choose from based on your pets lifestyle and can guide you as to which will be best for you and your pet. Ticks can become active anytime over 2o Celsius, and thus we are recommending that cats and dogs that are active outside be on a preventative product between Mid-March/April through to November.

Jul 25
Love0

Cytology

By

Cytology is the study of cells under the microscope. We use cytology daily here – including checking your pets’ ears for bacterial and yeast infections, looking for mites and also checking whether or not your pets’ lumps are cancerous or not. Having this available in-house allows us to ensure appropriate and timely treatment for your pet.

May 19
Love0

Von Willebrand's Disease

By

Knowing if your dog has this condition before an emergency situation arises can mean the difference between life and death. Similar to hemophilia in humans, von Willebrand’s disease can result in life-threatening bleeding. Many dogs that carry this disease in their genetic makeup go undetected until a minor surgery or small, superficial injury results in significant blood loss.

We offer testing for this disease, which is a highly inheritable trait in some breeds. As many as 50% of Dobermans are affected; other commonly affected breeds include German shepherds, German shorthaired and wirehaired pointers, golden and Chesapeake Bay retrievers, Pembroke Welsh corgis, poodles, Scottish and Manchester terriers, and Shetland sheepdogs. If you have an at-risk breed, we recommend that you have your dog tested.

Some animals show no signs of the disease but are carriers of this genetic problem. If these dogs are allowed to reproduce, they can pass the disease on to their offspring. If you are a breeder, we strongly recommend testing for von Willebrand’s disease before breeding your dogs. Please call us to schedule this test.

May 19
Love0

Renal Dysplasia

By

Renal dysplasia is a disorder in which the kidneys do not develop normally. It most commonly affects Shih Tzus, Lhasa apsos, and soft-coated wheaten terriers. Dogs usually become clinically ill before one year of age.

Unfortunately, this genetic disease has no cure; many affected dogs will develop kidney failure. Management options are extremely limited and generally expensive. Although some dogs are only carriers of this disorder and have normal kidney function, they can still pass the trait onto their offspring.

If you’re a breeder, testing for renal dysplasia can significantly reduce your chances of breeding this inherited problem in your dogs. Please call us to schedule this test.

May 19
Love0

Hip Dysplasia

By

Canine hip dysplasia (abnormal development of the hip joint) begins when the hip joint in a young dog becomes loose or unstable. If left undiagnosed and untreated, this instability causes abnormal wear of the hip cartilage and ultimately progresses to osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. Signs of this condition are pain, reluctance to get up or exercise, difficulty climbing stairs, a “bunny-hopping” gait, limping, and lameness, especially after periods of inactivity or exercise.

Hip dysplasia most commonly affects large- and giant-breed dogs; however, smaller dogs can also be affected. Although genetics often play a role in this disorder, young dogs that grow or gain weight too quickly or get too much high-impact exercise are also at risk. Being overweight can aggravate hip dysplasia.

We can help prevent or slow this condition by monitoring food intake and ensuring that your dog gets proper exercise as he or she ages. We can also screen your dog for hip dysplasia, using one of two methods. The earlier we can diagnose hip dysplasia, the better the possible outcome for your dog.

OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) Certification:

We can x-ray your dog’s hips for hip dysplasia at 2 years of age. We will forward these radiographs to the OFA, where board-certified radiologists will evaluate and grade your dog’s hips for OFA certification. Correct positioning of your dog is essential for proper radiographic evaluation, so a general anesthetic is required to make the procedure less stressful for him or her.