Diagnostic Services

As part of our commitment to provide you with access to the best medical care for pets in the Central Kentucky Area, the veterinarians at Town and Country Animal Clinic have also invested in the latest diagnostic technology. After performing a thorough examination, diagnostic tests are sometimes necessary in order to identify the underlying cause of your pet’s illness. It is our policy to review any recommended tests with you before they are performed, as well as discuss all the available treatment options and fees.

In-house Laboratory

Town and Country Animal Clinic maintains a full service diagnostic laboratory that allows us to perform complete blood counts, chemistry profiles, electrolytes, urinalysis, fecal exams, cytology evaluations and other valuable tests as well as first rate daily lab services from Antech.

Because protecting your pet's health is our most important job, our animal clinic is equipped with a complete, on-site diagnostic laboratory that allows us to measure more than 100 laboratory values, with results often available in a few minutes. In addition, we work with several outside referral labs if your pet requires specialized testing.

Laboratory testing can provide information about your pet's overall systemic health, as well as detect diseases and other conditions affecting your pet's health and well-being without the need for invasive, expensive procedures. Diagnostic laboratory testing is also completed prior to dental or surgical procedures that require general anesthesia.

Without timely access to these test results, it would be difficult to make an accurate diagnosis or assessment of your pet's health.

 Ultrasound

Ultrasound is a pain-free, totally non-invasive technique that uses high-frequency soundwaves to produce a real-time moving image of your pet's internal organs. It allows us a look at your pet's internal organs, chest and abdomen without surgery or sedation. Ultrasound is used for a wide-range of diagnostic procedures. It is particularly useful in viewing your pet's abdominal organs and performing pregnancy evaluations. Ultrasound is also useful in evaluating heart functions and is used for bladder scans.

The ultrasound procedure takes between 30 to 60 minutes to perform and, unless it is being used during a surgical biopsy, does not typically require sedation. A diagnosis based on what we see is usually available immediately, which means we can also provide you with treatment options at the time of your appointment and minimize your worry and stress. Most importantly, though, an ultrasound helps us make an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition and provides effective treatment recommendations.

Digital Radiography

Radiographs (x-rays) are extremely helpful for diagnosing and monitoring many medical and surgical conditions, such as examining your pet's bones, lungs, heart, abdomen, and other areas of the body. An x-ray can spot a fractured bone, detect tumors, help with the diagnosis of disease or locate an obstruction or foreign body in your pet's intestine or stomach. When used in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures like ultrasound, x-rays can accurately diagnose problems, making treatment faster and easier for your pet.

  • They are immediately able to be viewed on a computer monitor.
  • The clear, detailed images can be manipulated so we can get a better view of your pet's bones and internal organs, leading to a quicker and more accurate diagnosis.
  • They take less time to process, which means less time for your pet on the X-ray table (and less stress), and less waiting time for you.
  • No harsh chemicals are needed to develop the images, reducing potential harm to our staff and the environment.
  • If a second opinion is necessary, digital X-rays can be sent by email to a board certified radiologist.

Digital radiography is much more efficient than traditional x-rays and also bypasses chemical processing, thereby reducing your pet's exposure to radiation and limiting damage done to our environment.