Why is an in-house laboratory so important?

When your pet is unwell and needs a rapid diagnosis, it's just not practical to send samples overnight to an external laboratory, as some clinics do.

With our lab, we can provide test results in minutes.

Urgent Care

If your pet has suffered a collapse, or trauma, we need to know what's happening right now, not in a couple of days time. Our machines can give us results in minutes.

Pharmacist organizing medications_edited

Starting Medication

If we suspect your pet has an infection or inflammation, or is just under the weather and we aren't sure why, a blood test with us can confirm what treatment is needed, rather than us making a guess at what is required.

Accurate Results

Blood samples can sometimes be delayed in the post, or not be processed straight away the the external lab. This can affect the accuracy of the results.

We can perform different blood tests to ensure we get a complete picture.

We can look at blood cells, chemicals in the blood, and perform specilised tests too

Red and White Blood Cells:
Haematology

Haematology is the study of the blood, and it plays a crucial role in understanding your pet’s overall health.

1. What is Haematology?

Hematology involves examining the different parts of blood to help diagnose and monitor various health issues. Just as a mechanic checks a car’s engine to ensure everything is working properly, we look at your pet’s blood to get a snapshot of their internal health.

2. Key Blood Components:

Red Blood Cells (RBCs): These cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If your pet has too few RBCs, they might be anemic, which can make them feel tired or weak.
White Blood Cells (WBCs): These are the body’s defenders, fighting off infections and foreign invaders. An abnormal count could indicate an infection or an immune system issue.
Platelets: These help the blood to clot, stopping bleeding when there’s an injury. Abnormal platelet levels can affect healing or suggest other underlying conditions.

3. How We Use Haematology Information:

Diagnosis: By looking at the numbers and appearance of these cells, we can detect conditions like infections, anemia, or even certain cancers.
Monitoring Treatment: Blood tests are often repeated over time to see how well your pet is responding to treatments or if any changes in their condition need to be addressed.

4. Additional Details:

Sometimes we perform a blood smear, where a drop of blood is spread on a slide and examined under a microscope. This helps us see details like the size, shape, and appearance of blood cells, offering more clues about your pet’s health.

Haematology information, along with other tests and examinations, helps us diagnose problems early, and tailor treatments to keep your pet as healthy as possible.

Haematology

Chemicals in the Blood:
Biochemistry

The other part of your pet's blood is chemicals.

It is normal to have these chemicals in the blood, but sometimes they can be too low or too high.

Biochemistry involves studying the chemicals in your pet's body to understand how their organs are functioning and how their metabolism is working.

1. What It Is:

Biochemistry looks at the substances in your pet’s blood, such as enzymes, proteins, sugars, and electrolytes, to give us a picture of their internal health.

2. Key Components:

Enzymes: These proteins help speed up chemical reactions. Specific enzymes can indicate how well your pet’s liver, heart, or muscles are working.
Proteins: For example, albumin and globulin provide insights into nutritional status, immune function, and possible inflammation.
Electrolytes: Minerals like sodium, potassium, and chloride are vital for nerve and muscle function, as well as fluid balance.
Glucose: This is the main source of energy. Abnormal levels can point to conditions like diabetes.
Kidney and Liver Markers: Substances such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and bilirubin help us assess how well these organs are functioning.

3. How We Use It:

Diagnosis: By analyzing these chemicals, we can detect issues like liver disease, kidney problems, diabetes, or electrolyte imbalances.
Monitoring: Regular tests help us keep track of chronic conditions or the progress of treatments, ensuring that your pet is responding as expected.
Guiding Treatment: Understanding the biochemistry of your pet's body lets us tailor treatments to support organ function and overall health.

Biochemistry is a vital tool that helps us catch health problems early and create effective treatment plans, keeping your pet in the best possible shape.

Biochemistry

Specialised Tests

On the basis on our clinical examination, and results of haematology and biochemistry samples, we sometimes need to do further investigations.

Some of these investigations can be run in our laboratory, some more unusual tests need to be sent to Universities, or sometimes to overseas laboratories.

.

Coagulation Profiles: These tests look at how well your pet's blood is clotting. They’re useful for diagnosing bleeding disorders or clotting issues, we may do this in an emergency if your pet may have come into contact with rat poison.
Hormonal Tests: For example, thyroid panels help diagnose conditions like hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, and other hormone tests can look at the adrenal glands or how the pancreas is functioning.
Infectious Disease Panels: We can test for specific infections such as heartworm in dogs or FIV/FeLV in cats, as well as tests for tick-borne diseases.
Blood Gas Analysis: This assesses oxygenation, carbon dioxide levels, and the acid-base balance in the blood, providing information on respiratory and metabolic function.
Electrolyte Panels: While these are often part of a biochemistry profile, we sometimes need to have a more detailed look at the balance of electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chloride, this is critical for assessing hydration and organ function, especially in dehydration or trauma.
Organ-Specific Tests: Tests for liver (like bile acids) and kidney function (such as creatinine and SDMA) give us insights into how well these vital organs are working.
Cardiac (Heart) Biomarkers: In some cases, we check for markers like troponin I to evaluate heart muscle damage.
Serum Protein Electrophoresis: This technique separates different proteins in the blood and can help detect chronic infections, inflammatory conditions, or immune-mediated disorders.

We have lots of tests available to investigate our patients symptoms.

Specialised Blood Tests

How do we take a blood sample

We usually need to clip fur under the neck in cats and smaller dogs, or a front leg in bigger dogs.

We can numb the skin with cream if needed

We use a tiny needle to obtain the blood sample

The sample is placed in special blood tubes

We quickly run the samples on our in-house laboratory machines

The results are ready in minutes, and we can then start to find out what's going on with your pet

We review the results alongside any other symptoms to get a complete picture of your pet’s health