Diagnostic

Diagnostic testing enables our team to pinpoint the underlying cause of your pet’s symptoms, diagnosing their condition(s). We want our pet parents to be involved in the decision-making process, and we thoroughly discuss the diagnostic testing we recommend for your pet and their diagnostic test results. Personalizing your pet’s diagnostic plan ensures we avoid unnecessary tests and procedures while leading us to a more personalized and effective treatment plan.

Diagnostic Overview

Chest Radiographs (X-rays)

A chest radiograph is a diagnostic tool Pet Health veterinarians use to evaluate the internal structures of a pet’s chest cavity, including the bones, heart, lungs, trachea, diaphragm, arteries, and veins. This type of radiograph can aid in detecting and diagnosing respiratory problems, symptoms of tracheal, heart, or lung disease, injury or trauma, and age-related diseases in senior pets.

The images produced by a chest radiograph can help to screen for cancer and other diseases, diagnose diseases, monitor the progression of an illness, and evaluate injuries. At Pet Health, radiographs are typically submitted to a board-certified veterinary radiologist for an expert interpretation, with results available immediately or within 24 hours.

Your Pet Health veterinarian may recommend additional diagnostic testing or imaging if the radiograph findings are inconclusive or unclear. These tests may include an echocardiogram, bronchoscopy, trans-tracheal wash, thoracocentesis, or laboratory tests.