When Your Pet Is Sick Or Injured, We'll Help Them Get Better
An ill pet can't tell us where it hurts, but most owners know when they are suffering. It may be as obvious as a cut, tender spot, or tummy troubles, or simply an awareness that something just isn't right.
Comprehensive Exams
Your pet can't tell you when something is wrong, so recognizing illness often depends on careful observation and a thorough physical examination. Even subtle changes—such as decreased appetite, increased thirst, weight loss, lethargy, limping, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in behavior, or simply "not acting like themselves"—can be early signs of a more serious medical condition.
At 5-Points Animal Hospital, every comprehensive examination is much more than a quick checkup. Our veterinarians perform a head-to-tail evaluation, assessing your pet's overall health and looking for signs of illness that may not be obvious at home. During the examination, we evaluate:
- Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- Oral health and dental disease
- Heart and lung function
- Skin, coat, and body condition
- Muscles, joints, and mobility
- Abdomen and internal organs
- Neurological function and reflexes
- Lymph nodes and thyroid (when appropriate)
Many illnesses, including heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, arthritis, thyroid disorders, and certain cancers, can be detected much earlier through routine examinations than by waiting until symptoms become severe.
While online resources can provide general information, they cannot replace a physical examination by a veterinarian. Early diagnosis often leads to simpler treatments, lower medical costs, and better long-term outcomes. If you've noticed even a small change in your pet's health or behavior, we encourage you to schedule an appointment so we can identify the problem and begin treatment as soon as possible.
Diagnostic Testing
An accurate diagnosis is the foundation of effective treatment. While a physical examination provides valuable information, many illnesses require additional testing to determine exactly what is happening inside your pet's body.
Our hospital offers comprehensive diagnostic testing to help identify diseases, evaluate organ function, monitor chronic conditions, and assess your pet's response to treatment. Depending on your pet's symptoms, recommended testing may include:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)
- Blood chemistry panels
- Electrolyte testing
- Urinalysis
- Fecal examinations
- Cytology (evaluation of cells from masses, ears, skin, or other tissues)
- Heartworm and tick-borne disease screening
- Feline leukemia (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) testing
- Endocrine testing for diseases such as diabetes, Cushing's disease, Addison's disease, and thyroid disorders
- Infectious disease testing
These diagnostic tests allow us to detect conditions that may not yet be causing visible symptoms, evaluate how well your pet's organs are functioning, and develop a treatment plan tailored specifically to your pet's needs. We also use laboratory testing to monitor pets receiving long-term medications, ensuring treatments remain both safe and effective.
Diagnostic Radiography (Digital X-Rays)
Digital radiography is one of the most valuable tools available for diagnosing illness and injury in veterinary medicine. X-rays allow our veterinarians to look beneath the surface and evaluate bones, joints, the chest, abdomen, and many internal organs without surgery.
Our advanced digital radiography system produces high-resolution images within seconds, allowing us to quickly diagnose conditions such as:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Arthritis and joint disease
- Hip dysplasia
- Foreign body ingestion
- Bladder stones
- Heart enlargement
- Lung disease and pneumonia
- Certain cancers and tumors
- Abdominal abnormalities
- Dental disease using dedicated dental radiography
Digital imaging also exposes pets to less radiation than traditional film radiography while providing superior image quality that can be enlarged and enhanced for greater diagnostic accuracy. When needed, these images can be electronically shared with board-certified specialists for consultation.
Although radiographs may not always provide a definitive diagnosis, they often play a critical role in determining the next diagnostic steps and developing the most effective treatment plan.
Diagnostic Ultrasound
Ultrasound provides a detailed, real-time view of your pet's internal organs without the use of radiation. Unlike X-rays, which primarily evaluate bones and overall organ size, ultrasound allows us to examine the internal structure and movement of soft tissues, making it an invaluable tool for diagnosing many medical conditions.
Ultrasound can help evaluate:
- Liver, spleen, kidneys, and bladder
- Gallbladder and pancreas
- Gastrointestinal tract
- Adrenal glands
- Reproductive organs
- Heart (echocardiography through referral when appropriate)
- Pregnancy and fetal development
- Abdominal masses and tumors
- Fluid accumulation within the chest or abdomen
Because ultrasound provides real-time imaging, it allows our veterinarians to observe organs as they function and can also be used to guide fine-needle aspirates and biopsies with increased precision.
At 5-Points Animal Hospital, ultrasound helps us diagnose many conditions more quickly and accurately, allowing treatment to begin sooner while minimizing the need for more invasive procedures whenever possible.
Laboratory Services
Timely, accurate laboratory results are essential for diagnosing illness and monitoring your pet's health. At 5-Points Animal Hospital, we combine advanced in-house laboratory capabilities with trusted reference laboratories to provide comprehensive diagnostic testing.
Our in-house laboratory allows us to perform many tests during your pet's appointment, providing results in minutes rather than days. This is especially important for sick or injured patients who require immediate treatment decisions.
Our laboratory capabilities include:
- Complete blood counts (CBC)
- Blood chemistry profiles
- Electrolyte testing
- Urinalysis
- Microscopic cytology
- Ear cytology
- Skin cytology
- Fecal examinations
- Infectious disease screening
- Coagulation testing (when indicated)
For specialized testing requiring advanced equipment, we partner with IDEXX Reference Laboratories, one of the nation's leading veterinary diagnostic laboratories. This partnership provides access to thousands of additional diagnostic tests while maintaining rapid turnaround times and exceptional accuracy.
By combining in-house diagnostics with comprehensive reference laboratory services, we can diagnose disease sooner, monitor treatment more effectively, and provide your pet with the highest standard of medical care.