Diagnostics

The veterinarians at Washington Heights Veterinary Clinic begin each patient visit with the most important diagnostic tool: the comprehensive physical examination. While other diagnostics are extremely important, the first step to arriving at any diagnosis is the physical examination. All other diagnostic and therapeutic decisions are based on what is found on that initial exam.

Washington Heights Veterinary Clinic has a complete on-site laboratory to allow for many tests to be run in-house. This ensures the ability to make many diagnoses quickly, without the need to wait for results to come in. We are able to run complete blood counts, blood chemistries, urinalyses, some fecal analyses, and cytological analyses inside our hospital. For the more advanced tests or in cases where a second opinion is warranted, we also have an off-site lab with which we may consult. The amount of time required to receive results from our off-site lab depends on the test performed.

At Washington Heights Veterinary Clinic, we use a state-of-the-art digital x-ray machine. This allows us to get a better quality x-ray each time. In addition, it limits the number of times we need to re-take x-rays, thus requiring the patient to be restrained for shorter periods than with a traditional x-ray machine. This translates into less patient anxiety and fear and ultimately, greater patient comfort.