Diagnostics

Not all problems are surface problems. Your pet’s health issue may result from an underlying condition, but luckily, we can see below the surface. At Santa Monica Pet Medical Center, we feature comprehensive diagnostic testing with our full IDEXX lab suite and advanced imaging equipment. For just about any case, we have the technology in house.

Testing, Testing, One, Two, Three

We want healthy pets to stay healthy, so we often perform some routine tests during annual check-ups to screen for any underlying problems. It’s as important to understand your pet’s healthy results as the unhealthy ones. These tests may include:

• Complete blood count

• Blood chemistry panel

• Urinalysis

• Fecal exam

• Heartworm, now a concern in Santa Monica

• Skin and ear tests

For more specific case-by-case testing, we also do:

• Skin scraping and fungal cultures

• Thyroid test

• Cat disease screenings

• Fine needle biopsy for tumors

• Allergy testing, if allergies are suspected
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Any in-house testing will have a quick turnaround, often within the hour. Outsourced testing is typically available in three to five days, although specialty tests may take longer. In the case of an emergency, however, we can do mosts tests in-house for your pet. No matter what your pet’s lifestyle, we recommend year-round flea, tick and heartworm prevention to keep your pet free from these pests and the health dangers they cause.