Veterinary Technology

Our veterinary team in Grass Valley has a broad range of diagnostic tests and tools at their disposal in our in-house vet lab that they use to accurately diagnose your pet's medical conditions and develop treatment plans customized to meet your pets needs.

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Our Diagnostic Services 

With our in-house veterinary diagnostics lab, we are proud to offer you advanced diagnostic testing. These services let our vets offer you an accurate diagnosis of your pet's medical condition.

• Radiography (Digital X-rays)

  With a radiograph (digital X-ray), we can evaluate your pet's internal systems to uncover information that can't be seen from the outside.

  Radiography is non-invasive, painless, and safe. It uses only very small doses of radiation. Because the level of radiation exposure needed to conduct radiography is very minimal, pregnant females and very young pets can have this procedure done. 

  Radiographs can be used to evaluate bones and organs, and diagnose conditions including broken bones, chronic arthritis, bladder stones, spinal cord diseases, and some tumors. 

• Ultrasound

  Diagnostic imaging lets our veterinarians create highly detailed images of your cat or dog's internal structures.

  In ultrasound imaging, we expose a part of your pet's body to high-frequency sound waves to obtain images of the body's insides.

  Because ultrasound images are captured in real-time we can see the structure and movement of your animal's internal organs, as well as the blood flowing through their blood vessels.

  Having this valuable technology available to our vets in our in-house lab means that your dog or cat's condition can be diagnosed quickly and treatment can start sooner. 

• Bloodwork

  At our vet lab in Grass Valley, we can conduct a range of common and specialized blood tests to determine the health of your pet and to diagnose illness.

  A few of the most common veterinary blood tests we perform include CBC (complete blood count), white blood count, hemoglobin and MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration), hematocrit, platelets, eosinophils, and blood serum profile. 

• Urinalysis

  Urinalysis is an essential diagnostic test that gives your vet essential insights into the physical and chemical properties of your cat or dog's urine.

  Urinalysis is usually used to evaluate the health of your animal's kidneys and urinary tract system, but this test can also be helpful in finding issues with other organ systems and is essential for diagnosing metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

  This is a valuable diagnostic test for both healthy and sick animals and should be included in any comprehensive evaluation of your pet's overall health. 

• Fecal Exams

  A fecal exam is a microscopic examination of your cat or dog's feces, that can be completed at our in-house vet lab in Grass Valley.

  The main goal of a fecal exam is to diagnose and treat any GI infections that might be impacting the health of your pet and maybe even the health of your family. Fecals allow your vet to determine if your pet has intestinal parasites such as roundworms or hookworms. 

  Parasites can make cats and dogs uncomfortable, irritable, and can cause more serious conditions. Some can even be transmitted to humans.

  Because these parasites reside in your pet’s gastrointestinal tract, they are usually hidden out of sight. The only way to find their presence is with a fecal exam.

  Annual fecal examines should be a vital part of every pet's routine wellness exam.  

• ECG / EKG

  If your veterinarian implements a physical checkup and suspects your pet might be suffering from a heart disorder they will usually take chest X-rays and an electrocardiogram (ECG / EKG).

  This procedure can be performed quickly and easily. It uncovers data that could be essential to your pet's diagnosis. In other cases, a cardiac ultrasound may be required to identify disorders in the chambers of the heart.

• Digital Dental X-Rays

  If your pet is suffering periodontal disease, most of the damage will be happening below the gum line where it can't be seen easily. Digital dental X-Rays help our vets evaluate your cat or dog's oral health.

  Digital X-Rays are safe for animals. They let our veterinarians examine the roots, bones, and internal anatomy of your cat or dog's teeth.

  With digital X-Rays, the risk of radiation exposure for your pet is a lot lower than it is with traditional X-ray technology. We are able to see below the surface of your pet's gum line to fully assess every tooth.

  This technology allows your Grass Valley vet to see results immediately, then project them onto a computer screen to review.

• Cytology

  Your veterinarian will collect a cell sample from your pet and examine it underneath a microscope. They implement this test to see if your furry companion has cancer. It can also be implemented to evaluate the kidneys, liver, bodily fluids such as urine, and external surfaces of your pet's body including the eyes, mouth, and breathing passages. 

• Fine Needle Aspirate

  Our vets conduct this diagnostic test to evaluate the fluids from any bumps or lumps underneath your cat or dog's skin to test for cancer. 

• Biopsy

  We perform biopsies to see if the growths, lumps, or bumps on your pet's skin are cancerous. We do this by using a needle to collect a sample of the skin tissue, which is processed and examined under a microscope.

• Blood Pressure Readings

  Like people, cats and dogs can have high blood pressure. We take blood pressure readings of our patients using a Doppler scope to look for systemic hypertension, which is repeated measurements of high blood pressure.

  High blood pressure in pets can cause lethargy, sudden blindness, behavioral changes, nose bleeds, and more.

• Eye Pressure Readings

  Our vets can take pressure readings of your pet's eyes to look for any diseases within the eye and to make sure everything is operating normally.