Diagnostics
Whether your pet has demodectic mange or diabetes, we have the diagnostic tools available to assess your pet's illness, allowing us to treat them appropriately.
Our on-site, modern digital X-ray equipment (both full-body and dental) provides high quality radiographs to aid in the quick diagnosis of various conditions. The majority of our radiographs are sent to a boarded veterinary radiologist (DACVR) for review to ensure nothing is overlooked.
Our in-house laboratory facilities provide for urinalysis and parasite testing, bench-top retroviral diagnosis and fungal cultures, as well as emergent blood chemistries and cytological evaluations. We utilize commercial veterinary laboratories for routine and non-emergent blood chemistry, hematology, biopsy, and specialized diagnostics and consultations.
We provide ECG services on-site and can refer your pet for consultation with a cardiology specialist if needed.
We have a diagnostic ultrasound machine available, and our full-time licensed veterinary technician is FASTvet certified to perform AFAST (abdominal FAST scan), TFAST (thoracic FAST scan), and VetBLUE (veterinary Brief Lung Ultrasound Exam) scans. Using ultrasound, we can confirm the viability of a pregnancy, identify free fluid in the abdomen.
Laboratory
For emergent patients, our in-house chemistry unit allows us to assess 14 crucial blood parameters, including ALT and ALP (liver), BUN and Creatinine (kidney), Glucose (blood sugar), and electrolytes. We are able to run Complete Blood Counts (CBC) to evaluate levels of white blood cells (for infection), red blood cells (for anemia and dehydration), and platelets (for clotting ability). We can also run cardiac NT pro-BNP for both cats and dogs, resting cortisol for dogs, and fPL/cPL levels to screen for pancreatitis.
We offer bench-top retroviral and heartworm antibody testing on cats, giving us a quick answer to their Feline Leukemia/Feline Immunodeficiency/Heartworm status when needed. This information can be invaluable when deciding on a treatment plan.
For our non-emergent and routine patients, we utilize a national reference laboratory. Our courier visits twice a day, enabling us to receive results within 12-18 hours in most cases (some tests require a longer time frame, such as cultures and biopsies).
Dr. Clarke pursued a residency/PhD in veterinary pathology at UGA prior to returning to practice. As such, he is very skilled in microscopy. He routinely performs in-house cytology to aid in diagnoses, from tumors to ear and skin infections.
Radiology
Our digital radiography suite allows us to diagnose a variety of conditions - broken bones, heart disease, pneumonia, intestinal foreign bodies, bladder stones - just to name a few. Our state-of-the-art system enables us to capture the views required and then make adjustments to the image. This minimizes the need for retakes, thus minimizing radiation exposure.
We are able to electronically submit our radiographs to a board-certified veterinary radiologist for review. This service is a especially beneficial for difficult or unusual cases, and can aid the veterinarian in diagnosing your pet.
In the event your pet needs to be referred to a specialist, we can send digital copies of the x-rays with you or, in some cases, directly to the referral center.
Because a large portion of each tooth is below the gum line, dental radiography is an invaluable tool in evaluating your pet’s oral health.
Dental radiographs can reveal dental disease (also called periodontal disease) that cannot otherwise be appreciated visually. Once identified, treatment can be initiated. Early treatment of periodontal disease can improve your pet’s overall health and quality of life because dental issues can be a source of pain and discomfort as well as infection, both locally and in other areas of the body (heart valves, liver, and kidneys).
Ringgold Animal Hospital offers digital dental radiography using state-of-the-art equipment. Digital dental radiography allows our staff to take dental radiographs quickly and efficiently, with minimal radiation exposure. Your pet is anesthetized and closely monitored throughout the entire procedure.
Parasite Screening
Parasites come in many different shapes and sizes. Some are internal (intestinal worms, heartworms, etc.) and some are external (fleas, ticks, ear mites, etc.). They can be obvious to the naked eye or impossible to see without the aid of a microscope.
We can screen your pet for a variety of parasites, including:
- Heartworms
- Intestinal worms
- Demodectic and sarcoptic mange
- Giardia
- Fleas
- Ticks
- Ear mites
- Coccidia
All of our canine patients are screened yearly for heartworms, per the recommendations of The American Heartworm Society and the veterinary universities. They are also screened for intestinal parasites and the presence of fleas and ticks.
Feline patients are screened yearly for intestinal parasites and the presence of fleas and ticks, as well as ear mites if suspected. Cats that spend time outside - especially if they are intact or prone to fighting - should be tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus yearly (our tests include heartworms as well).
EKG and Blood Pressure
Should the veterinarian detect an issue during an examination, we have ECG monitors available in-hospital to screen for abnormal electrical signals within the heart. Once diagnosed, we may refer your pet to a veterinary cardiologist for further diagnostics (such as a cardiac ultrasound) and/or treatment.
We also have blood pressure equipment in-hospital to aid in diagnosing hypertension. Just like in humans, high blood pressure can cause a myriad of issues, including kidney damage. We often ask for your assistance in creating a low-stress environment while we are taking readings; this helps ensure an accurate diagnosis.