Lab Tests Help Us Understand What Has Changed
When your pet is sick, or just doesn’t seem right, you want answers fast.
At Madison Veterinary Hospital, we run many tests in our own lab. Some results come back during the visit. Others take longer or go to an outside lab. We’ll tell you what to expect for each test your pet needs.
Lab work is part of preventive care too. Results from wellness visits give us a baseline to compare against, and bloodwork before anesthesia helps us spot problems before surgery.
At every stage of your pet’s life, good test results lead to better decisions.
For more than 50 years, Madison Veterinary Hospital has built up the equipment and experience to do thorough testing for pets from Madison Heights, Troy, Sterling Heights, and the rest of the area.
Why In-House Diagnostics Matter
The biggest advantage of running tests in-house is speed.
When we can run bloodwork, a urine test, a stool test, or a rapid screening test here, we can often go over results within the hour. That means we can talk through what we found, adjust treatment, and get started sooner.
For a pet who’s very sick, that speed is more than a convenience. It can change what we’re able to do.
In-house testing helps with:
- Faster answers during sick visits
- Same-day treatment decisions in many cases
- Pre-surgery safety checks
- Senior pet health monitoring
- Medication monitoring
- Parasite screening
- Early disease detection
- Better follow-up over time
Not every test can or should be run here. For specialized tests, cultures, advanced hormone panels, and some complex diagnostics, we use trusted outside labs.
We’ll always tell you where your pet’s sample is going, why we’re recommending the test, and how long results should take.
Our Diagnostic Capabilities
Here’s what we test for and why.
Complete Blood Count
A complete blood count (CBC) looks at the three main types of blood cells:
- Red blood cells
- White blood cells
- Platelets
Red blood cell counts show how well the blood carries oxygen and whether your pet is anemic. White blood cell counts can point to infection, inflammation, immune disease, or some cancers. Platelet counts tell us whether your pet’s blood clots normally.
The CBC is one of the most common and useful tests we run.
Blood Chemistry Panel
A chemistry panel checks how the organs are working and how the body is handling its basic chemistry.
It may include:
- Kidney function markers
- Liver enzymes and liver function markers
- Blood glucose
- Electrolytes
- Total protein
- Other important metabolic values
We usually recommend it before anesthesia, when a pet is sick, as part of senior wellness care, and for pets on long-term medications that can affect the organs.
Thyroid Testing
Thyroid disease is common in both dogs and cats.
Dogs more often have an underactive thyroid. Older cats more often have an overactive one.
We may recommend a thyroid test if your pet has:
- Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
- Changes in appetite
- Lethargy
- Restlessness
- Skin and coat changes
- Increased thirst or urination
- Behavior changes
For senior cats, a thyroid test is often part of routine wellness screening starting around age seven.
Urinalysis
Urine tells us a lot about how your pet is doing.
A full urine test may look at:
- Urine concentration
- Hydration status
- pH level
- Protein
- Glucose
- Blood
- Cells
- Crystals
- Bacteria
Urinalysis shows how well the kidneys are working and checks for infection, dehydration, and signs of disease elsewhere in the body. It’s especially useful for seniors and pets with urinary symptoms.
Urine Culture and Sensitivity
When we suspect or confirm a urinary tract infection, a urine culture tells us exactly which bacteria are involved.
Sensitivity testing then shows which antibiotics should work against those bacteria, so we can pick the right one.
Fecal Testing and Parasite Screening
We recommend a stool test every year, even for pets who seem healthy or stay mostly indoors.
Fecal testing checks for intestinal parasites such as:
- Roundworms
- Hookworms
- Whipworms
- Giardia
- Coccidia
Some parasites can make pets sick, and some can spread to people. Regular screening is a basic part of preventive care.
Depending on your pet’s lifestyle, we may also test for heartworm, tick-borne diseases, and other local risks.
Cytology
Cytology means looking at cells under a microscope. We collect them from a lump, a skin mass, ear discharge, fluid, or other affected tissue.
Cytology can help us look at:
- Skin masses
- Lumps and bumps
- Ear infections
- Skin infections
- Fluid accumulation
- Inflammation
Possible cancerous changes
Cytology doesn’t always give a final answer, but it often tells us what to do next.
Rapid In-House Testing
We keep rapid tests on hand for several common and urgent conditions.
Rapid testing may include:
- Parvovirus
- Giardia
- Feline leukemia
- Feline immunodeficiency virus
- Heartworm disease
- Tick-borne diseases
Other screening tests based on your pet’s symptoms
These tests give results in minutes, which helps a lot during urgent visits.
Pre-Anesthetic Bloodwork
Before any procedure that needs anesthesia, we run bloodwork to check your pet’s organs and overall health.
It helps us catch problems that could affect anesthesia, like kidney disease, liver changes, anemia, infection, or electrolyte imbalances.
It’s a standard part of every surgery and dental procedure. We’re always glad to walk you through what we’re checking and what the numbers mean.
Diagnostics for Every Life Stage
What your pet needs tested changes as they get older. We base our recommendations on age, health history, lifestyle, symptoms, and risk.
Puppies and Kittens
Testing early gives us a baseline for your new pet.
For puppies and kittens, testing may include:
- Fecal testing
- Parasite screening
- Heartworm screening when age appropriate
- FeLV and FIV testing for kittens
- Baseline bloodwork before a first anesthetic procedure
Adult Pets
Routine bloodwork gives us a baseline and can catch changes before you’d see symptoms. Your veterinarian will recommend how often based on your pet’s age, health history, and needs.
For adult pets, testing may include:
- Annual fecal exams
- Heartworm testing
- Tick borne disease screening when appropriate
- Periodic bloodwork, often every one to two years depending on your pet’s needs
- Urinalysis when needed
We’ll set a testing schedule with you at your pet’s wellness visit.
Senior Pets
For pets around seven and older, we often recommend more complete screening.
A senior wellness panel may include:
- Complete blood count
- Full chemistry profile
- Thyroid testing
- Urinalysis
- Blood pressure measurement
Additional testing based on symptoms or health history
Finding kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, and other conditions early lets us start treatment sooner and manage them better.
Pets on Long Term Medications
Many medications for long-term conditions need regular blood monitoring.
That includes medications like:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Steroids
- Phenobarbital
- Certain heart medications
- Long-term antibiotics or antifungals
- Other chronic medications
We’ll set a monitoring schedule based on your pet’s medication, age, health, and risk.
When Diagnostics Lead Somewhere Else
Sometimes test results point to something that needs a closer look.
Your pet may need:
- Digital X-rays
- Ultrasound
- Repeat bloodwork
- Specialized lab testing
- Culture and sensitivity testing
- Biopsy or cytology
- Specialist consultation
Our lab works hand in hand with our X-ray and ultrasound, so going from lab results to imaging is usually quick and easy.
If your pet needs a specialist, we’ll set up the referral and talk with the specialist team for you.
Discussing Your Pet’s Results
Some results we can go over during the visit. Others we’ll call you about once they come in.
We look at test results together with your pet’s exam, symptoms, and history, then explain what we recommend next.
Related Veterinary Services
Lab work often ties into wellness care, imaging, surgery, pain management, and the pharmacy. Depending on your pet’s symptoms and results, we may also recommend:
