Taking as many preventive measures as possible can save your pet in the long run. At Urgent Animal Care of Arlington, we provide complete in-house diagnostic testing. With our on-site lab, you don’t have to wait overnight for most results. Instead, we can get them back to you that same day, allowing your pet to be treated sooner if needed.
Call us at 703-291-4746 to learn more about our pet diagnostic services. If your situation is an emergency, consult one of our recommended emergency facilities instead.
In-House Laboratory
At our clinic in Arlington, VA, we can perform various blood screens, pre-anesthetic bloodwork and other tests for quick results. Specifically, our on-site laboratory can test the following:
- Liver enzyme screening: This test looks for high levels of enzymes in the blood resulting from cell damage. High levels of enzymes can be a concern, but it does not always indicate disease.
- Renal profiles: Checking your pet’s kidneys through a series of blood tests can identify signs of kidney disease and diabetes risk.
- Complete blood counts (CBC): A CBC is a full panel blood test that evaluates your pet’s overall health and provides information about their hydration status, anemia, infection, blood clotting ability and immune system response.
- General chemistries: A general chemistry test will measure the levels of certain chemical components in the blood. These include electrolytes, fats, glucose, proteins and enzymes.
- Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV): If you own a cat, consider FeLV and FIV testing. Two blood tests are taken to diagnose FeLV and FIV, including the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) tests.
- Parvovirus: Canine parvovirus (CPV) is contagious between dogs. If your dog is showing symptoms, a blood test can determine the presence of the parvovirus B19 antibody.
- Urinalysis: This test looks at your pet’s urine to evaluate their hydration status and detect any abnormalities such as protein, blood or sugar. If any are found, further tests may need to be run for diabetes, urinary tract infections or kidney stones.
- Clotting times: A blood sample is drawn from your pet and checked for clot formation in a pre-warmed tube. The doctor will note the time it takes for your pet’s blood to clot.
If your pet requires any testing beyond our scope, we are happy to send bloodwork or another test to an outside lab. They will send the results back to us at their earliest convenience.
Digital Radiology
In addition to our in-house laboratory services, we offer digital radiology — or pet X-rays. We have advanced pet imaging tests to provide the best results and diagnostics for our patients.
An X-ray directs electromagnetic radiation toward the body to see internal structures. We use it to detect any issues your pet may be struggling with, including soft tissue damage, skeletal fractures or foreign bodies.