At Parker & Ace, all routine wellness care includes screening tests, which helps us understand what’s normal for your pet as well as screen for common conditions. Diagnostic testing is useful because it helps us catch potential health issues early on—enabling us to have a better likelihood of successfully treating them.

Members of Parker & Ace have access to a full diagnostic laboratory at every clinic, so that we can run screening tests during regular wellness exams, as well as quickly run tests when a pet is sick or in need of urgent care.

If your pet comes in with a presenting condition, such as not feeling well or not acting like themselves, blood work can give us a lot of information. If it's something systemic, like an upset belly, your Parker & Ace vet team can use testing to try to understand what is causing your pet not to feel very well.

Here are common screening tests and why they matter:

‍Intestinal Parasites
‍We screen for 20 common intestinal parasites using advanced PCR testing which provides the most sensitive detection available. It not only lets us know the presence of these parasites but also will tell us if certain parasites are resistant to common treatments. 

Additionally, if Giardia (a common, ubiquitous GI parasite which can infect both animals and humans) is detected in your pet, this will let us know if it is the type that is potentially infective to humans—so you can better protect your family and environment.

‍Heartworm & Tick Borne Diseases
‍We screen for heartworm, Lyme disease, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma which are all common infectious diseases that can be deadly to your pet. 

‍Blood
‍A complete blood count (CBC) tells us if your pet is fighting an infection, has inflammation or a potential bleeding problem. A CBC can also help find diseases spread by ticks and mosquitoes.

Liver
‍Your pet’s liver may have trouble managing proteins, fat, digestion, and waste. These problems could be caused by a disease, a blockage or even certain medications.

Kidneys
‍These screening tests help us detect kidney disease well before there are any associated clinical signs. This is critical since cats and dogs have lost over 75% of their kidney function before they may clinically exhibit signs of kidney disease. At that point, it is often too late to provide successful treatment.

‍Pancreas & Intestines
‍Problems with these digestive organs may be due to an inflamed pancreas, diabetes or some types of cancers.

‍Heart & Lungs
‍Infection or disease can make it difficult for your pet’s heart and lungs to deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to their body. Early detection of heart disease is often the key to successful management.

Thyroid
‍If the thyroid glands aren’t releasing the right amount and type of hormones, your pet’s metabolism could be affected. 

‍Urine
‍Urine tests tell us if your pet has problems like infection or stones in the kidneys or bladder. They can also indicate potential cancers like transitional cell carcinoma in dogs.

As a common rule of thumb, the more information you give your Parker & Ace vet team, the better. For example, if your pet is having a normal day, let us know because it’ll give us a baseline of your pet’s normal functions and values for all of their organs, blood numbers, CBC, etc. If your pet's not feeling (or acting) normal, please tell us everything that's going on.

This might include:

• Things they may have got into
• Whether they're experiencing some vomiting or diarrhea
• If they're just really lethargic
• If they're drinking a lot of water or not enough water
• If they're getting picky with their food when they're normally not

Veterinary diagnostic imaging involves modalities such as radiographs (X-rays), ultrasound, MRIs and CT scans—all of which are used as diagnostic tools to collect information on your pet’s health. 

The vast majority of imaging is non-invasive and completely painless. 

‍However, some imaging may require sedation or even anesthesia because the pet must be kept still to allow for adequate images to be produced. We then use these images to collect information about your pet and help develop a medical and sometimes surgical plan.

After a member of the Parker & Ace vet team has examined your pet, they may suggest diagnostic imaging (digital radiology or ultrasound) to collect more information.

Diagnostic imaging may lead to a definitive diagnosis, but other times it will simply add more information to help put the puzzle together for the best treatment plan for your pet.

The two types of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging available at Parker & Ace include digital radiography and ultrasound.
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Digital radiography
Radiography has been used in veterinary medicine for many decades. Radiographs are the most regularly used form of diagnostic imaging in veterinary medicine because they are cost effective, and they can accurately assess the state of skeletal structure and composition, large body cavities, and even the presence of various foreign objects. 
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‍Radiographs are totally painless, but some pets can benefit from sedation to reduce anxiety and stress or if we need to use special positioning to assess a painful area. 

We use the most advanced digital radiography system available at Parker & Ace to minimize exposure to harmful radiation while providing the highest quality, detailed images available. We even support our interpretations with AI readings, giving you the confidence that we will catch even subtle abnormalities. 
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Ultrasound
‍Ultrasound is another common type of diagnostic imaging we use at Parker & Ace to diagnose medical conditions. Ultrasounds use soundwaves to examine and photograph internal tissues in real time—allowing for easy viewing of organs from different angles that are not easily achieved through radiography.

Whether we are screening your pet during a routine exam or using diagnostic testing or radiology to collect more information, it’s all in an effort to put together the most tailored, comprehensive plan for your pet.

We take time to get to know every pet that comes through our doors, so that if/when there are subtle changes in their test results, we can proactively develop treatment plans and monitor illnesses before any outward signs can be seen.

Remember, the sooner we can assess your pet and regularly monitor them, the better.