IN-HOUSE DIAGNOSTICS

At Latrobe Vets, we have invested heavily in in-house diagnostic equipment so we can investigate many common and urgent health concerns without always needing to send samples away and wait for results.

That can mean getting important information within hours, sometimes much sooner, and being able to make treatment decisions faster.

The value is not just in having advanced equipment. It is in being able to use that information to recognise when a patient may be sicker than they first appear, decide what needs to happen next and, where necessary, arrange referral sooner.

Blood tests can tell us a great deal about what is happening inside the body, including information that cannot always be identified during a physical examination alone.

One of the major advantages of having comprehensive blood machines within the clinic is speed.

As Madeline explained in the meeting, clients are sometimes surprised when she tells them she can call back with blood results that same day. In many cases, the testing can be performed while your pet is still with us.

A blood gas machine gives us additional information that can be particularly useful when a pet is seriously ill.

It can help assess important factors such as oxygenation, acid-base balance and electrolytes, giving the veterinary team another layer of information when making decisions about a critical patient.

This is not something every general veterinary practice has access to, but for the types of cases seen in the Latrobe Valley, it can be extremely valuable.

The team regularly sees urgent conditions such as snake bites, rat bait ingestion and seriously unwell animals where being able to gather information quickly can help guide the next step.

Urine testing can provide important clues about several different body systems.

Depending on the situation, it may help us investigate:

• Urinary tract problems
• Kidney function
• Diabetes
• Hydration
• Infection
• Urine concentration
• Other metabolic changes

Our digital urinalysis equipment allows us to assess many samples in-house and combine those results with blood tests and your pet's clinical examination.

Sometimes one result provides the answer. More often, diagnostics work like pieces of a puzzle, with each test adding a little more information.

Blood pressure is another measurement that can help us understand how a patient is coping.

We have multiple options available for checking blood pressure, and monitoring may be recommended for pets with certain medical conditions, critically ill patients, senior animals or those undergoing anaesthesia.

Changes in blood pressure can be important because they are not something an owner can see at home.

Knowing what is happening allows us to respond rather than guess.

Ultrasound allows us to examine structures inside the body in real time.

It can be particularly useful when investigating abdominal problems and may help us assess organs, fluid accumulation and some causes of acute illness.

The team also has experience using focused emergency ultrasound to look for obvious abnormalities in unwell patients.

This can be especially helpful when an animal arrives with vague signs such as collapse, abdominal pain, vomiting or sudden deterioration and we need to begin narrowing down what may be happening.