Pet Diagnostics
High Quality Diagnostics: Intial Investigation of Pets
Pearland Pet Health Center offers our patients many diagnostic tools for your dog, cat, and even exotic animals. These tools are essential for us in helping diagnose diseases or injuries that your pet may have. They also help us with our soft-tissue and orthopedic surgeries or teeth cleaning by confirming it is safe for us to administer your pet anesthesia.
When your pet is not at its best, it is important to have a full service animal hospital that can meet all of you and your pet's needs. At Pearland Pet Health Center, we have the knowledge and capabilities to handle something as minor as dermatitis, as well as the complexity of pancreatitis or organ failure. We have the ability to perform in-house digital x-rays, ultrasounds and electrocardiographs. We also have a full in-house diagnostics lab to receive quick and accurate results and also offer 24 hour hospitalization and treatment if needed.
Tools that we use and have in-house for prompt diagnosis for your pets are:
- Digital x-rays
- In-house laboratory
- In-house pharmacy
- Ultrasound
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
In-House vs. Send-Out Diagnostics
We perform thorough screenings to protect not just your pet, but your entire family, as many of these parasites are zoonotic (capable of spreading to humans). Our testing protocols look for:
- Roundworms & Hookworms: Common parasites that steal nutrients and can damage the intestinal lining.
- Whipworms: Often harder to detect, these can cause serious inflammation and bloody diarrhea.
- Giardia & Coccidia: Microscopic protozoans that are frequently missed by basic visual checks but cause significant gastrointestinal distress.
- Tapeworms: We check for evidence of these segmented parasites often transmitted by fleas.
We tailor our testing to your pet’s specific needs using a two-tiered approach:
- In-House Testing: For rapid results, we utilize our in-house laboratory. This allows us to perform fecal flotations and wet mounts right here in the clinic, often providing answers in a matter of 15-20 minutes. This speed is critical when your pet is currently showing symptoms of illness.
- Send-Out Reference Lab: For routine annual wellness or complex cases, we may utilize reference laboratories. These advanced facilities use antigen testing to detect the specific proteins of parasites, allowing us to identify infections even when no eggs are currently being shed in the stool.
Ensure your pet is parasite-free from the inside out. Bring a fresh stool sample to your next appointment.
Fast, Accurate In-House Diagnostics
We don't make you wait days for answers. Utilizing our advanced Idexx in-house laboratory equipment, we can perform Complete Blood Counts (CBC), electrolyte analysis, and organ function screenings right here in the clinic.
- Speed: We can generate results in a matter of 15–20 minutes.
- Depth: We test for thyroid function, pancreatitis, and other internal anomalies.
Safety: These screenings are also essential prior to any procedure requiring anesthesia, such as soft-tissue surgeries or dental cleanings.
Why Test Annually?
Even if your pet is on prevention, missed doses or resistant parasites can lead to infection. Administering heartworm medication to an infected dog can be harmful, which is why we require a current yearly exam and negative test results to approve prescriptions.
Our Preventative Solutions
Once we confirm your pet is heartworm-free, we offer a fully stocked in-house pharmacy with top-tier preventatives to fit your lifestyle.
- Canine Options: We stock ProHeart 6 (an injection lasting 6 months), Sentinel, and Trifexis (monthly oral preventatives).
- Feline Options: We carry Revolution, a monthly topical solution that protects cats against heartworms and fleas.
- Flea & Tick Defense: We also recommend pairing heartworm protection with Bravecto for comprehensive flea and tick coverage.
Protect your pet from the inside out. Book an Appointment today for your pet's annual heartworm test.
Contact us for a quick, accurate pet diagnosis
Digital X-Rays
Radiography is an invaluable diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine. With X-rays, we can get valuable information on your pet's health. They can be used to evaluate almost any organ in the body— bones, heart, lungs—and other organs for many issues. X-rays can also help us find broken bones, bladder stones, arthritis, some cancers, and a variety of other problems.
Our digital x-ray is linked to an online portal which allows us to send films to owners or specialists with the click of a button. Radiography is painless, is completely non-invasive, and uses very low doses of radiation
Ultrasound
Ultrasonography uses high-frequency sound (ultrasound) waves to create a picture of what is inside your pet’s body. It is a completely non-invasive, painless way to diagnose and evaluate many common diseases.
Because ultrasound images are produced in real time, this technology can be used to evaluate the heart as it beats and help us detect abnormalities in the motion of heart valves, blood flow through the heart, and contractions of the heart muscle. It can also be used to assess the heart for defects. We also use ultrasound to see images of abdominal organs, including the liver, spleen, gallbladder, and kidneys, and monitor pregnancy and fetal health.
We also use ultrasound to gather urine samples from pets. The bladder can be found using the ultrasound probe, and a sterile urine sample can be extracted quickly and painlessly. A quick scan of the abdomen using the ultrasound is also a quick and easy way to check your pet for abnormalities and potentially cancer, when added to their checkup. Schedule your pet’s ultrasound scan today!
Annual Blood Work for Early Detection
At Pearland Pet Health Center, we believe the best treatment is prevention. Because our pets cannot speak to tell us when they feel unwell, and often instinctively hide signs of illness, annual blood work is a critical tool for giving them a voice.
We recommend comprehensive blood panels as part of your pet’s annual wellness exam. This "internal physical" allows our veterinarians to establish a baseline of health and catch developing issues—such as kidney disease, liver imbalance, or diabetes—before they become advanced
Yearly Heartworm Testing & Prevention
Heartworm disease is a serious, potentially fatal condition transmitted by mosquitoes—a year-round threat here in Pearland, TX. Annual heartworm testing is not just a recommendation; it is a necessity to ensure your pet remains parasite-free and safe to take preventative medication.
Intestinal Parasite Screening (Fecal Checks) Beyond the Surface: Comprehensive Fecal Testing
Many of the most dangerous threats to your pet’s health are invisible to the naked eye. While you might spot the occasional tapeworm segment, most intestinal parasites live silently within your pet, shedding microscopic eggs that can only be detected through professional diagnostic testing.
In-House Laboratory for Rapid, On-Site Diagnostic Testing
When your pet is unwell, waiting days for results isn't an option. Our clinic features a state-of-the-art in-house laboratory powered by Idexx technology, allowing us to run comprehensive diagnostics with results available in just 15–20 minutes. This immediate access to data allows our veterinarians to diagnose issues quickly and begin the right treatment plan before you leave the clinic.
Key Diagnostic Tests We Perform:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC):Checks for infection, anemia, and hydration status.
- Organ Function Screening:Evaluates Liver and Kidney health.
- Internal Health:Thyroid function, Urinalysis, and Electrolyte balance.
- Pancreatic Health: Specific testing for pancreatitis (cPl for dogs, fPL for cats).
- Cardiac Health:Heart disease screening (ProBNP).
- Parasite Screening:Heartworm antigen testing.
Prefer the convenience of home delivery? Shop our official online pharmacy to ensure your pet receives safe, manufacturer-backed products every time
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (ECG)
Electrocardiography involves placing electrodes on your dog or cat and measuring the electrical activity of their heart. We use ECG to look for pet issues such as hypertension, heart failure and arrhythmias, heart murmurs, dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
We use this tool often with our in-house ultrasound and in-house laboratory to get a more complete view of your pet's health.
