Veterinary Technology

Our Diagnostic Services 

With our in-house veterinary diagnostics lab, we are pleased to offer advanced diagnostic testing to allow our vets to provide an accurate diagnosis of your pet's medical issues.

• Radiography (Digital X-rays)

  We can examine your pet's internal systems with a radiograph (digital x-ray) to reveal information that may be invisible from the outside.

  Radiography is a non-invasive, painless procedure. It only employs very low doses of radiation. Because the level of radiation exposure required for radiography is so low, even pregnant women and very young pets can have this procedure performed.

  Radiographs can be used to assess bones and organs as well as diagnose conditions such as broken bones, chronic arthritis, bladder stones, spinal cord diseases, and some tumors.

• Ultrasound

  Our veterinarians' use of diagnostic imaging enables us to create extremely detailed images of your pet's internal structures.

  We use ultrasound imaging to produce images of the inside of the body by exposing a portion of the body to high-frequency sound waves.

  We can see the structure and movement of your pet's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through the blood vessels because we capture ultrasound images in real-time.

  Having this valuable technology available to our veterinarians in our in-house lab enables us to diagnose and treat your dog or cat's condition more quickly.

• Cold Lasers

  Veterinary laser therapy is a great treatment for pets that have been gaining popularity in recent years. While it works similarly to other therapies such as acupuncture and massage, the lasers can be used instead of medication to manage pain relief.

  A therapeutic laser uses light waves of a specific wavelength, the photons of which are absorbed by cellular components to promote growth and repair.

• Labwork

  At Highland Animal Hospital, we have many labwork procedures we run to determine your pet health. These include the following.

  Bloodwork: Our vet lab in Augusta can perform a variety of routine and specialized blood tests to assess your pet's health and diagnose illness. Common veterinary blood tests include CBC, WBC, hemoglobin, MCHC, hematocrit, platelets, eosinophils, and blood serum profile. Some of the common diseases that can be found using blood tests include parvovirus, an extremely contagious and deadly virus mainly found in dogs, FiV, a disease that severely attacks a cat's immune system, and heartworm disease.

  Urinalysis: Urinalysis is a critical diagnostic test that reveals your pet's urine's physical and chemical properties. Urinalysis is used to assess your pet's kidney and urinary tract health, but it can also be used to detect issues in other organ systems and metabolic diseases like diabetes. In any comprehensive evaluation of your pet's overall health, this is an important diagnostic test for both healthy and sick animals.

  Fecal Exams: A fecal exam is a microscopic examination of your pet's feces, performed in our Augusta vet lab. The goal of a fecal exam is to identify and treat any GI infections that may be affecting your pet's or family's health. Feces help your vet diagnose intestinal parasites like roundworms and hookworms. Parasites can cause discomfort, irritability, and illness in pets. Some are even human-transmissible. Because they live in your pet's intestines a fecal exam is needed to detect them. Every pet's annual wellness exam should include a fecal exam.

  Pancreatitis Screening: Put simply, pancreatitis screening is a test to check for pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a swelling of the pancreas. When this happens, the powerful digestive enzymes can damage its tissue and release inflammatory cells which could harm the lungs, kidneys, and heart. Although rare, tumors can also form on the pancreas.

  T4 (Thyroid Gland) Testing: The thyroid gland is responsible for the production of thyroid hormones. These proteins have far-reaching effects on the body, governing metabolic rate. The most common thyroid gland disorder in pets is excessive production of thyroid hormones due to a benign (non-cancerous) increase in size and function of one or both their thyroids. This condition is termed hyperthyroidism, where the overactive cells produce more hormones than what's needed by your pet for normal body functions.

• ECG / EKG

  We usually take chest X-Rays and an electrocardiogram (ECG / EKG) if your veterinarian performs a physical examination and suspects your pet has a heart disorder.

  This procedure is simple and quick to complete. It reveals information that may be critical to your pet's diagnosis. In other cases, a cardiac ultrasound may be required to identify problems in the heart's chambers.

• Digital Dental X-Rays

  If your cat or dog has periodontal disease, the majority of the damage occurs below the gum line, where it is difficult to see. Our veterinarians use digital dental X-rays to assess your pet's oral health.

  Digital X-rays are more pet-friendly. They enable our team of veterinary professionals to examine your cat or dog's teeth roots, bones, and internal anatomy.

  The risk of radiation exposure to your pet is significantly lower with digital X-Rays than with traditional X-Ray technology. We can see beneath the surface of your pet's gum line to thoroughly evaluate each tooth.

  This technology enables your Augusta veterinarian to view results immediately and then review them on a computer screen.

• OFA-Certified Genetic Testing

  Highland Animal Hospital is proud to offer genetic testing services. These services track a pet's genetic profile for identification purposes (such as checking parentage or confirming breed) or to check for possible genetic diseases.