In-House Laboratory

Belmont Animal Hospital has the capability to perform various blood tests, pre-anesthetic bloodwork, and other types of testing on site instead of sending samples to an outside lab.This saves time, as you don’t have to wait overnight for results, meaning your pet gets a diagnosis and needed treatment sooner.

Why Laboratory Tests Are Important For Pets

Laboratory tests are an integral part of veterinary diagnostics. They provide our veterinarians with vital information to aid in the diagnosis of many illnesses, including kidney disease, liver disease, infection, anemia, and other serious medical conditions. Our in-house laboratory has the latest diagnostic equipment, which allows us to provide immediate patient evaluation on a variety of tests, including complete blood counts, blood chemistry panels, urinalysis, fecal examinations, fluid and skin analyses, and cytology.

Complete blood count and serum chemistry panels may be recommended to collect baseline values on your pet. These help to establish a “normal” value that can be used as a comparison if your cat or dog becomes ill. Routine blood work is also recommended for patients that are taking long-term medications that may affect their heart, liver, or kidney function over time. Semi-annual blood tests are also beneficial for senior critters since routine lab work aids in the early detection of underlying disease while it is easiest to treat.

Test Your Dog or Cat For Parasites

Our veterinarians also recommend that internal parasite tests be performed at each annual pet wellness exam via a fecal evaluation to check for roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms, Giardia, and coccidia. A blood test is also used yearly or every other year to test for heartworm disease.

Blood Work Procedure For Your Pet

Prior to veterinary surgery, patients undergo a pre-anesthetic blood panel to help ensure they are healthy enough to undergo anesthesia. Every year, a handful of surgical procedures are canceled or rescheduled due to abnormal blood work that could have compromised the patient’s safety during surgery. Our veterinarians will interpret each patient’s lab work before treatments or procedures to ensure they have devised the best medical plan available for your pet.

Learn More About Our In-House Laboratory

For more information on our in-house lab services or to schedule your pet for testing, call us at 615-383-1000.