Advanced Diagnostic Capabilities

Blue Springs Animal Hospital offers advanced diagnostics including veterinary ultrasound, digital radiography (X-rays), and video endoscopy for pets in Blue Springs and surrounding Kansas City areas.

DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY

Our modern and fully equipped in house laboratory gives us instant access to important information regarding your pet’s condition. The following are just a few of the in house lab tests we can perform when needed:

  • Blood Chemistries
  • Complete Blood Counts
  • Blood Clotting
  • Blood Smears
  • Platelet Estimates and Counts
  • Reticulocyte Counts
  • Urinalysis with Culture and Sensitivity
  • Fecal Floatation
  • Fecal Centrifugation
  • Fecal Cytology
  • Bacteriology w/Cultures and Sensitivity
  • Fungal Cultures and Microscopic ID
  • Cytology of Lumps, Bumps, & Cancers
  • Skin Scraping for Parasitic Identification
  • Ear Cytology and Culture & Sensitivity

In addition to our in house lab, we have access to any laboratory test needed through our network of referral laboratories.

DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

Our diagnostic imaging capabilities provide a non-invasive way to visualize the internal organs and bones of your pet using X-rays or ultrasound.

Veterinary Digital Radiography (X-Rays)
Conditions such as fractured bones, hip dysplasia, internal organ enlargement, and foreign body ingestion may be diagnosed with our state of the art digital radiography equipment. Digital capture of the X-ray images allows our doctors to quickly share images with other doctors or specialists to consult on difficult cases.

Veterinary Ultrasound
Ulstrasound allows us to evaluate the internal structure of organs such as the liver, kidneys and bladder. Veterinary ultrasound capability often provides the ability to make a non-invasive diagnosis and avoid surgery or other more invasive diagnostic procedures. In some cases, we may also be able to use ultrasound to guide needle biopsies of internal organs, which is safer and less stressful for the patient than other methods of obtaining diagnostic samples.

Echocardiography
Blue Springs Animal Hospital offers cardiology services including echocardiography utilizing a a GE LOGIQe veterinary ultrasound with superior quality digital images, color flow doppler, and video capture. Our veterinarians have undergone training with a board certified cardiologist and can provide echocardiograms on adult dogs. On challenging cases we can capture high def images and video and transmit them to a board certified cardiologist for consultation.

ENDOSCOPY

The best and most non-invasive way to diagnose diseases affecting the internal lining of the intestines is with endoscopy. Without the aid of an endoscope, such problems can only be diagnosed with an exploratory abdominal surgery and full thickness intestinal biopsy.

Through our video endoscope our veterinarians can do a visual exam of the esophagus, stomach, upper small intestine, and colon. They can take small pinch biopsies which do not require sutures and which heal quickly with no after care.

Endoscopy can also be used to visualize and acquire samples from the trachea and upper lung bronchial passages in medium to large dogs.

In some cases, foreign bodies which have been inhaled or ingested may also be removed with the endoscope, eliminating the need for surgery.

ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY (EKG)

Our veterinarians can evaluate your pet’s heart in several ways. One valuable indicator of heart function is to measure the heart’s electrical activity with an electrocardiogram.

EKG including Holter monitoring is available. EKGs can be verified via telemedicine consultation with a board certified cardiologist.

RIGID ENDOSCOPY

Foreign bodies, tumors, and other problems that occur in small spaces such as nasal cavities and ear canals can pose serious problems, but are difficult to visualize and diagnose.

Our rigid scope allows visualization of small spaces in dogs that weigh 20+ pounds. Our veterinarians have removed blades of grass from ear canals and biopsied tumors in nasal cavities of large dogs.

If your pet develops a problem like this, this scope is a must have diagnostic tool!

DIAGNOSTIC REFERRALS

Additional diagnostic tests such as CT scans, myelograms, and MRIs are available to our patients when needed through our referral network with local board certified specialists.