Nepean & Mountains Animal Hospitals

Client Testimonials

“Thank you so very much for taking the time to come to my home and help me with Isabelle. She has been with me for a long time and I would be lost without her. I was so worried but your timeliness, professionalism, and compassion calmed my nerves within no time. Isabelle is doing very well now and I owe that to you. Many many thanks.”

Florence Nutt, Client, East Blaxland

Nepean and Mountains Animal Hospitals have a state of the art in-house laboratory. We are able to run a range of haematological and biochemical tests and have the results available for our veterinarians within minutes. These tests provide valuable information and can allow our veterinarians to rapidly identify any abnormalities and diagnose your pet’s condition. For some more specialised tests such as drug monitoring, endocrine function testing and histopathology, we need to send samples to a external veterinary pathology laboratory.

  

The complete blood count (or CBC) provides information concerned the various types of blood cells. The red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues of the body. White blood cells are the body’s primary defense against infection. Platelets play a major role in the blood clotting process and are essential for halting the bleeding process. Running a CBC allows our veterinarians to identify any abnormalities such as increased or decreased levels of any of the blood cells or platelet levels.

 

Blood biochemistry provides information about the function of your pet’s vital organs including the liver, kidneys and pancreas. The tests may also indicate some less specific changes such as dehydration, as well as suggest some endocrine diseases and certain types of tumours.

 

The levels of electrolytes in the body are kept tightly regulated to maintain a fine balance. Certain diseases and medical condition may results in electrolyte imbalances that could compromise a pet’s health and ultimately become life threatening. Some medical conditions may require ongoing and regular monitoring.

 

The urinalysis provides very important information about the functioning capacity of the kidneys, as well as evidence of infection. This testing can determine whether blood, protein and bacteria are present in your pet’s urine as well as measure the concentrating ability of the kidneys. Additionally, since the urine may contain several by products from internal organs, abnormal levels of these substances can indicate conditions such as liver disease, or diabetes. The urinalysis includes dipstick analysis and microscopic examination of sediment.

Cytology involves the microscopic examination of cells. It forms an integral part of our investigation of many masses found in, on or underneath skin as well as some types of fluid. The most common type of sample collection is a fine needle aspirate (or FNA). A small gauge needle attached to a syringe is inserted into a mass, or pocket of fluid and gentle suction is applied in order to collect a sample of cells. This sample is then transferred to microscope slides, stained and examined under a microscope. Other methods of collection include direct impression smears and “sticky-tape” preparation.

 

Skin scraping is a simple test that is used to diagnose some parasitic infections of the skin. A small drop of oil is applied to your pet’s skin and a blade is used to scrape a thin layer of surface cells and transfer them to a microscope slide. The slide is then examined using the microscope – commonly diagnosed parasitic infections include demodicosis (demodectic mange) and ear mites.

 

Other in-house testing includes: