Laboratory & Diagnostics

Our in-house diagnostic tools allow us to make a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan more quickly and accurately so your pet can get back to feeling great again!

Laboratory

We offer a variety of in-house laboratory services to help diagnose your pet’s health issues as quickly and precisely as possible. These services include:

Bloodwork: Commonwealth Veterinary Hospital can run a variety of blood tests in-house. These include complete blood counts, chemistry profiles, liver, kidney and thyroid screens, pre-anesthetic blood profiles, and emergency chemistry profiles, all of which can be completed in thirty minutes or less. We can also run heartworm and tick-borne illness testing in house so that we can start your pet’s treatment right away when needed.

Cytology: Performing a cytology means reviewing tissue samples under the microscope. Cytology is used to diagnose common ear or skin infections, and to analyze samples aspirated from lumps and bumps on or just under the skin.  Oftentimes we are able to identify whether or not the visible cells are cancerous during your pet’s outpatient visit. This allows us to schedule tumor removal as soon as. Some tissue samples need to be sent to a lab for a veterinary pathologist to review. The results are usually received within 5 business days.

Urine: Urine screenings help diagnose a variety of conditions, but are especially useful in checking for the signs of urinary tract infections, kidney failure and diabetes.

Fecal:Fecal tests allow us to detect intestinal parasites, including giardia, roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and coccidia.

Diagnostic Imaging

In addition to our onsite laboratory equipment, we also maintain a range of noninvasive diagnostic imaging and treatment capabilities. These tools allow us to look beneath the skin to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions. Our onsite diagnostic and treatment tools include:

Digital Radiology: Commonwealth Veterinary Hospital is pleased to be the owner of state-of-the-art digital veterinary x-ray equipment. Digital technology has numerous advantages over traditional x-rays. The process is painless, exposure time is very short, and with no delays for film development, your veterinarian is able to view your pet’s x-rays nearly instantaneously.

In addition to being faster and easier on your pet, our digital x-ray equipment provides us with a level of detail that traditional technology cannot match, allowing for more complete and accurate diagnoses. Our veterinarians can enhance specific sections of the x-ray images, providing us with unsurpassed detail on isolated areas. We can also change the contrast ratios to make identifying problem spots easier and reverse colors to check for bone cracks, all at the click of a mouse. With a few more clicks, your veterinarian can import the images to the computers in our exam rooms and show you exactly what he or she saw, or send your pet’s x-rays out to a board-certified radiologist for further review.

Digital Dental Radiology: Our digital radiology suite includes handheld equipment for use in dentistry. This means that all the advantages of digital x-rays are available when your veterinarian evaluates your pet’s dental health.

Veterinary Ultrasound: Commonwealth Veterinary Hospital also has its own suite of veterinary ultrasound equipment. This pain free, non-stressful procedure provides us with a real-time image of your pet’s internal systems and assists us in diagnosing a wide range of conditions, including abdominal issues, urinary problems, and cardiac conditions.

Endoscopy, Rhinoscopy, and Video Otoscopy: At Commonwealth Veterinary Hospital, our veterinarians have the ability to perform a variety of procedures using our state-of-the-art endoscopy equipment. This equipment allows our veterinarians to use a tiny camera to see inside your pet’s body and retrieve tissue samples for biopsy, perform minor procedures, or even remove a range of foreign objects from the stomach when necessary. Our scope technology is commonly used to examine a patient’s ear canals, nose, urethra, colon, or stomach, and is an incredibly powerful and minimally invasive tool for diagnosing and treating complex conditions.

Laser Light Therapy: We are pleased to be able to offer laser light therapy for our patients using the Companion Therapy Laser. Laser therapy is the only course of treatment that stimulates the body to heal from within, relieving pain and inflammation and accelerating your pet’s healing process. It provides a sterile, pain-free, surgery-free, drug-free treatment, and can be used to treat a variety of injuries, wounds, fractures, neurological conditions, and dermatological problems. Whether your pet is rehabilitating from trauma or injury, healing from wounds, or simply aging, your companion can benefit from this alternative approach to healing.

Echocardiograms

An echocardiogram, commonly known as an ultrasound of the heart, uses sound waves to create detailed images of the heart’s structure and function. This non-invasive diagnostic tool is essential for evaluating heart murmurs, detecting congenital heart defects, assessing the severity of heart disease, and monitoring the effectiveness of ongoing treatments. Echocardiograms are typically recommended when a new heart murmur is heard upon physical exam or when pets show signs of heart disease, such as coughing, difficulty breathing, fainting, or unexplained fatigue. Our experienced veterinary team is dedicated to providing thorough and precise cardiac care to support your pet’s cardiac health as needed throughout their lifetime.