Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and Radiology

Rose-Rich Veterinary Clinic offers a variety of diagnostic services that enhance medical diagnosis and treatment. These include in-house and referral laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging using ultrasound and X-rays.

We run heartworm tests in our in-house lab as a part of your pet's yearly wellness visit and in cases where a heartworm infection is suspected.

Heartworms are a dangerous but completely preventable problem. Heartworm disease is caused by the parasite Dirofilaria immitis. The only known vector is the mosquito, which bites an infected animal and then transmits the larvae through a bite to your pet. The larvae mature and migrate to the heart and other important organs in the body. Left untreated, heartworms can become fatal.

A fecal is performed to screen your pet for intestinal parasites on a yearly basis. This aids in early detection and prompt treatment of any parasite infection. A fecal will not detect tapeworm unless it is visible in the stool or on the pet. Tapeworms can appear as a long flat worm or little segments that look like flat rice. If you have seen this at home, please report to the doctor during the pet’s examination.

Most veterinary practices offer blood work and urinalysis as a part of their routine screening for older patients. Blood work is a very important tool in diagnosing sick patients. It is the veterinarian’s first and most informative tool in evaluating patients. It is an internal view of your pet's overall health. Depending on the results of the initial blood work, other diagnostic tests may be warranted to fully diagnose the extent or the cause of any abnormal findings.

Most blood work is performed in-hospital, but some tests may be performed at an outside laboratory.

An evaluation for health or illness sometimes includes a urinalysis. Urinalysis results can give an idea of hydration and kidney function; it can also indicate inflammation or infections in the urinary tract. “Normal” results help determine health or exclude certain diseases.

A urinalysis is indicated for evaluating pets with urinary abnormalities such as increased urine production, increased urinary frequency, straining to urinate, bloody urine, or abnormal color to the urine.

We have a new digital X-ray system. Digital X-ray is a higher quality X-ray image that can be easily transmitted electronically to a specialist if needed. We are able to zoom in on areas of interest, and that can help us diagnose problems with a higher degree of accuracy. We also have the ability to view the images in any of our exam rooms.

Ultrasonography, or ultrasound, is a diagnostic imaging technique similar to radiography. With an ultrasound, we can get a more in-depth look at your pet’s heart, kidneys, liver, gallbladder, etc. It can also be used to determine pregnancy. Ultrasound can also detect fluid, cyst, tumors, or abscesses that we may not see on radiographs.