TotalBond Veterinary Hospital at Davidson’s comprehensive in-house laboratory allows for expedient turnaround time to help us establish health baselines and find clues as to why your furry friend might not be feeling well. Timely responses to lab findings can better support the findings of a physical exam, help alleviate discomfort, and speed recovery.
Blood work, urinalysis, fecal exams, and skin scrapings can all be examined quickly, efficiently, and accurately providing data on organ function, blood chemistry levels and any underlying abnormalities.
If your pet is healthy, we recommend blood work annually. If your pet is a senior, sick, or living with a chronic health condition, our clinical team recommends blood work semi-annually. This will allow us to keep a close eye on any changes in health before they become severe as well as provide timely treatment.
We ask that you bring a fresh fecal sample to your pet's annual or semi-annual check-up. A urinalysis can be taken at the time of the visit.
A list of the most commonly utilized diagnostics our in-house laboratory can perform include:
Digital radiology is a non-invasive procedure used to examine your pet’s organs and skeletal system. It provides an in-depth look at conditions affecting your furry friend by allowing us to look below the surface of the skin.
Using digital radiology, Dr. Hay can find foreign objects, locate joint issues and fractures, and look for organ abnormalities (such as cancer), as well as aid in dental prophylaxis.
Digital radiology is superior to film x-ray for a few reasons. Digital x-ray requires far less radiation, and provides higher image quality with near-instant image access. This allows for a faster diagnosis and treatment plan so you can bring your pet home sooner. Digital radiology is also more environmentally friendly with no chemicals to leach into our water systems.
Ultrasound is a non-invasive diagnostic technology used to evaluate the organs in the chest and abdominal cavities.
Abdominal Ultrasound allows our medical team to view internal organs, soft-tissues, and fluid-filled structures using sound waves. It aids in the diagnosis of tumors, congenital diseases, foreign objects and obstructions, pregnancy, and more.
Cardiac Ultrasound is used to evaluate the size and functionality of the heart organ. Diagnostically, cardiac ultrasound is used to screen pets who are at risk for heart disease, to determine if disease is present, and if so, its severity and the effectiveness of treatment.
Without invading the body, cardiac ultrasound allows measurement of the heart walls, the size of the heart chambers, the appearance of the heart valves, and the strength of the heart contraction, with Color Flow Doppler showing the blood as it travels through the heart in real time.
Ultrasound is carried out in a quiet, slightly darkened room. Because it’s painless and non-invasive, most patients are awake during the procedure. If there is concern about comfort and/or aggression, sedation might be recommended to keep your pet and our staff safe.
It is recommended to withhold food after 10 p.m. the night before your pet’s appointment. If your pet has breakfast, the food in the stomach may impede visualization of abdominal organs. It may also prevent sedation, if required.
To allow for good contact of the ultrasound probe, it may be necessary to shave pets in the area where they are to be examined. This is completely normal and of no need for concern.
Oh, allergies... They can make life miserable! At TotalBond Veterinary Hospital, our doctors will help confirm, or rule out, some of the causes for itching, biting at the skin, and unexplained hair loss in your pet.
To start the diagnostic process, we will check for the presence of fleas and food allergies. If neither fleas nor a food allergen are the culprits, Dr. Hays will refer you to a nearby specialist for testing.
Prior to the test, you will be instructed to discontinue any medications which will suppress an allergic reaction. Depending on what has been prescribed for your pet, this may take 2-8 weeks to clear your pet's system.
To prevent false positive results, the veterinary specialist will ensure your pet is free from infection at the site upon which the test will be conducted. A light sedative will be given to avoid any discomfort and keep your pet relaxed. A small area of fur will be shaved on your pet’s body, and about 50 allergens will be injected in a sequential pattern. They include a whole slew of allergens such as pollens from trees, weeds and grass; molds; certain insects; and household allergens. A positive reaction will occur in approximately 15 minutes, with the specific allergen injection site becoming red and swollen.
Once the allergens have been identified, a vaccine may be formulated as an injectable or oral drops. This protocol may take 3-12 months for full results, and in the interim, your pet may remain on other medications to keep symptoms under control.
Echocardiography uses ultrasound imaging technology to view the heart’s structure and function. It’s non-invasive, safe, and highly informative to our clinical team.
An echocardiogram uses high frequency sound waves through a hand-held probe. The beam reflects from the tissues to form an image of the heart in motion. It will show the thickness of the heart walls, chambers, valves, and blood flow direction and speed.
Echocardiograms may be recommended for pets with heart disease symptoms, such as chronic coughing, fainting, exercise intolerance, or difficulty breathing. If an irregular heart rhythm is detected using a stethoscope during a check-up, we may recommend an echocardiogram be performed for further testing and diagnostic clarification.
Echocardiography is a painless procedure completed in a quiet, slightly darkened room. Most pets need not be sedated, and require no special preparation prior to the appointment. Results and any treatment protocol are ready by the end of the exam.
Our brand new, bigger, state-of-the-art facility is located less than a mile from our previous location. We are now located at 2073 Mecklenburg Hwy, Mooresville, NC 28115.
Phone: 704-892-1992
