Pathology

Sometimes a physical exam is not sufficient to make a diagnosis and this is where specific tests can be used for diagnosis.

At Weston Creek Veterinary Hospital we offer a variety of in house tests such as blood tests, including a Pre-anaesthetic Blood Profile, to assess organ function. We also offer in house cytology allowing us to see if a lump is something to worry about and should be removed, or if it can be safely left.

Another test we commonly do in house is a urinalysis. This allows us to see if infection is present, and it can also pick up conditions like diabetes and problems with kidney function. Collecting a urine sample is not always easy but well worth the effort.

It is not possible to do all tests in house however and sometimes we need to send tests away to the Laboratory for assessment. This is especially the case with Histopathology, that assesses biopsies and lumps to help us diagnose problems, identify the type of lump and if it has been completely removed. We also send away Microbiology tests to find out which bacteria are present and what antibiotics they are sensitive to so we can specifically target the disease causing bacteria.