Diagnostics 

Getting your pet diagnosed quickly gives your vet a chance to start treatment sooner. That's why at The Castro Animal Hospital, we offer several means of in-house diagnostics. Additionally, we can do off-site testing for a more thorough medical picture. Let us be your first choice for a veterinarian in San Francisco.

The Importance of Diagnostic Testing

There will be many times when even our expert veterinarian, Dr. Inman, will not be able to make a definitive diagnosis of your pet based only on a physical exam. Diagnostic testing gives our vet insight into your pet's bodily functions in a way that would be impossible from just looking at the outside. Testing makes our vet's diagnosis and treatment for your pet more accurate. Greater diagnostic accuracy prevents wasted time and money from inappropriate treatments. When our vet requests testing, it is to give your pet the best care possible. Luckily, many tests that your pet may need may be done in our office.

In-House Diagnostics

Our in-house testing includes digital x-rays, complete blood counts (CBC) and biochemistry, and basic cytology. Digital x-rays can diagnose broken bones or other skeletal problems. CBC and biochemistry look at markers in your pet's blood that could indicate disease or inflammation. Cytology involves our technicians looking at your pet's cells under a microscope to find problems. For a pet that needs an ultrasound, we have a specialist come on site for the procedure. By offering these tests on-site, we make these procedures more convenient for our patients. By not having to go elsewhere for tests, you may even get the results faster than if you had to be referred to another clinic. Sometimes, even our in-house diagnostics will not be enough. For those cases, we have off-site tests.

Off-Site Diagnostics

Our off-site diagnostics include more complex blood work, cytology, and histopathology. If we need to analyze your pet's urine through a urine culture or urinalysis, we'll send it off-site. We use the vet-trusted IDEXX system for our diagnostics reporting for multiple conditions. If you have any questions about how our diagnostics are done or if we offer a particular test, call us. We're happy to answer your questions.

Bring Your Pet to Us for Complete Care

With so many diagnostic tools available to our office, we can offer you top-of-the-line treatment for your pet. Bring your pet to our veterinarian in San Francisco. We're serving the Castro area to keep residents' pets happy and healthy. Make your appointment with us at The Castro Animal Hospital now.