Dix Hills Animal Hospital offers various specialized pet medical services for
HIGH-END CARE.
Since pets age at a much quicker rate than humans, these visits will become increasingly important in early detection of any changes in their health.
In-House Laboratory
How do our in-house laboratory services work?
We have the ability to test for certain diseases within 15 minutes using our new state-of-the-art in-house hematology blood analyzer and chemistry blood analyzer. In the event of illness, we can start treating your pet appropriately based on these tests (unlike in the past, when we had to wait until the laboratory test results came in the next morning).
Our hematology analyzer can do a complete blood count (CBC) which screens your pet’s red and white blood cells and checks your pet for anemia and/or infection and measures your pet’s hydration status, and the ability of the immune system to respond. This test is essential for pets with fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, pale gums, or loss of appetite. If your pet needs surgery, a CBC is part of our recommended preoperative blood testing and it can detect some bleeding disorders or other unseen abnormalities.
Our chemistry analyzer can screen your pet’s blood for up to 27 different parameters helping the doctor to evaluate organ function, electrolyte status, hormone levels, and more. Blood chemistry is important in evaluating older pets, pets with vomiting, diarrhea or toxin exposure, or for monitoring pets receiving long-term medications. Blood chemistry is also recommended as part of our preoperative testing before anesthesia. We can also check for anemia (low red blood cell count), and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar—can be a problem in petite breeds).
In addition to blood panels, we have in-house testing for Feline Leukemia, Feline Aids (FIV), Canine Heartworm, and Lyme disease. We also offer in-house cytology testing on pet’s ears and skin to help diagnose infections due to yeast or bacteria. This will help the doctors determine what medications and topical products to use for the best treatment. (See our section on allergy and ear treatment for more information).
With in-house testing, we can diagnose and treat your pet quicker again, helping the health and well-being of your family member.
Radiology
WHAT IS DIGITAL RADIOLOGY?
We have purchased a digital X-ray system. Now X-rays can be taken and processed in seconds—minimizing the time and exposure (of your pet). These X-rays have optimal visualization and allow us to immediately send out for a specialist to review them if need be. We can also provide you with a CD if you like, or if you need the X-rays for a referral. This has dramatically improved our diagnostic capability.
Allergy
How do we treat allergies in pets?
All of our doctors are well versed in Allergy Treatment. Often times we can treat allergies with a combination of antihistamines, antibiotics, and medicated shampoos and topical products. Several dogs have food allergies. We have a variety of hypoallergenic diets to choose from. Occasionally, we will work with a dermatologist to aid in diagnosis.
We may also recommend collecting a blood sample that we can use to run allergy testing on your pet with our reference laboratory. Then with the assistance of our dermatologists, we can customize and develop an allergy serum for you to administer to your pet orally or as an injection.
Ear Infections
How do we treat ear infections in pets?
Dogs sometimes present with ear infections (otitis externa) as a manifestation of their allergy. We offer in-house cytology analysis of ear debris so that we can accurately determine whether a pet’s ear infection is due to an overgrowth of yeast or bacteria.
This will pinpoint what medication and/or ear cleaner or flush that is prescribed so the infection is resolved quicker. We also offer ear packs or long-acting treatments that will easily manage ear infections with sometimes a single treatment or application that will continuously treat an ear infection for 1 or 2 weeks.
This is great for pets that may be difficult to medicate daily or for busy pet owners. Some dogs require deep ear cleaning under sedation to adequately remove debris from deep within the ear canal. This is very important so that the medication is able to penetrate into the tissue for better absorption in the ear canal.
All dermatologic and ear infections are monitored by our doctors to make sure these issues are resolved and to prevent a recurrence. We have had a lot of success with our treatment protocols.
Ultrasound
How do pet ultrasounds work?
We also have ultrasound capability. We have a specialist who comes to our facility regularly to perform ultrasound on our ill patients—both abdominal and cardiac. We also offer ultrasound as part of a senior wellness package to help look for early disease processes.
Ultrasound is a form of diagnostic imaging technology that’s used to evaluate a pet’s internal organs in real-time using sound waves. Ultrasound can be used to detect several conditions, including masses, tumors, underlying heart conditions, and pregnancy. Echocardiograms (cardiac ultrasounds) allow veterinarians to see inside a patient’s heart. Abdominal and cardiac ultrasound services are available at our hospital via traveling board-certified specialists who routinely visit our practice.
