Laboratory

Our veterinarians depend on laboratory results to assess and understand the status of your pet's health. It can help determine the presence of illness and rule out others. It can also be used to establish "baseline" values in our healthy pets and give insight into how well your pet can handle anesthesia. At Stack Veterinary Hospital, we have the capability to run complex tests right here at the hospital.  We also work very closely with a specialty lab.

Within our own lab, our staff is capable of performing a variety of routine procedures including fecal samples, urine specimens, blood smears, ear smears, fine needle aspirates, and skin scrapes. We also offer Complete Blood Counts (CBC), blood chemistries, electrolytes, heartworm/Lyme tests, and FeLV/FIV tests.  



Depending on your pet's current health status, and also on their breed, age, and gender, our veterinarians may recommend different laboratory tests. Here are a few:

Chemistry Panel: 
This test is important because it measures electrolytes and various elements including calcium and phosphorous. It also gives insight into how your pet's organs are functioning including the kidneys, liver, and pancreas. It may be recommended to obtain a baseline (or normal values) for your pet so that changes in these values can be monitored to help diagnose future illnesses. 

Complete Blood Count (CBC):  
This test is commonly used to measure the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This gives our veterinarians valuable information that allows them to diagnose infection, anemia, and leukemia and also how well your pet is responding to treatment.

Heartworm Test:   
Heartworm is a parasite easily contracted through mosquito bites that invades a pet's circulatory system and heart.  Our veterinarians recommend testing your dog for heartworm every year (based on how frequently your pet is receiving heartworm preventative).  We strongly recommend that your pet receives heartworm prevention every month. For more information regarding heartworm prevention please visit our links page.

Fecal Examination: 
Our veterinarians recommend bringing in a fecal sample at least once a year for microscopic examination. It can provide information about the presence of intestinal parasites, and diagnose many kinds of disease including difficulties with digestion, intestinal bleeding, and disorders of the pancreas.

Feline Immunodeficiency Diseases:  
Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia (Felv) are diseases common in unvaccinated outdoor cats. Both decrease the ability of your cat to fight off infection and are usually spread through fighting or contact with saliva, urine, or blood. Unfortunately, a cat can carry these diseases without immediately showing signs or symptoms. A blood test is thus needed to determine if your cat has been exposed. New cats to your household should always be tested before being introduced. For those stray cats who have recently found homes, your veterinarian may recommend an initial testing and then re-testing in 4-6 weeks. This is due to a prepatent period in which your cat has been exposed but has not built up sufficient antibodies.  If you do have an outdoor cat, make sure that he/she is vaccinated every year.