Diagnostics

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

Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology

Fine needle aspirate cytology (FNAC) is a valuable diagnostic tool for pets that involves extracting cells from tissues or fluids using a sterile needle and syringe. This non-invasive procedure is usually performed without sedation or anesthesia. It is used to diagnose abnormal growths (i.e., lumps and bumps) on a pet’s skin and fluid accumulations in the chest and abdomen. FNAC is also recommended to obtain samples of abnormal tissue growths noted during an ultrasound of the abdomen or chest. Specifically, the ultrasound probe guides the needle placement to get the growth sample and collect body fluids such as joint fluid.

The collected cells are prepared on glass slides and examined under a microscope either immediately or sent to an outside lab for a veterinary pathologist to study. The cells are examined for possible inflammation, infection, and cancer. The main advantage of FNAC is that it is minimally invasive, and the pet can often resume normal activities immediately after the procedure. The cytology results are usually received in 4-7 days, and your Pet Health veterinarian can then determine the appropriate treatment plan based on the results.

However, there are some limitations to FNAC. Compared with a biopsy, which allows for the examination of larger sections of tissues, an FNAC may not allow for a definitive diagnosis. The results may also come back inconclusive. Other complications include bruising at the site of the aspirate, inflammation, irritation of the aspirated tissue, especially if the growth is a mast cell tumor, and, under rare circumstances, internal bleeding from an ultrasound-guided aspirate.