In addition to physical exams, Blood test, Thyroid panel, Heartworm antigen test, FeLV/FIV test, Fecal exam, X-ray, etc., veterinarians perform skin, eye, ear and Fine needle aspiration exams when diagnosing pets. These can also help the veterinarian to determine the condition of the pet.
9. Various sampling examinations
1) Skin examination
Skin disease cannot be diagnosed by visual observation or photographs alone. Skin diseases need to be diagnosed through various skin tests. Parasites require skin scraping, fungi require woods lamp or fungal culture, and bacteria require skin impression. So if your pet has any skin redness, swelling, or itching, be sure to go to the hospital for a skin exam.
2) Major eye examinations
Fluorescein staining: test for damage or ulceration of the cornea. If your dog's eyes are suddenly red and swollen and teary, they need to be stained to see if there is any corneal injury.
Schirmer teat test: to test the production of tears. Certain breeds of dogs are more prone to dry eyes. Certain medications and cherry eye removal surgery may also cause dry eye.
Intraocular pressure: If you notice that your dog's eyeballs have become large, there is a good chance that the pressure in the eye is too high. Make sure you get to the emergency room!
3）Ear cytology
If your dog has itchy ears and a lot of discharge, you need to go to the hospital for an examination. Bacterial, fungal, and ear mite (cat) infections are the most likely causes. Only a microscope can confirm the diagnosis of the infection, and then the treatment can be targeted.
10 Fine needle aspiration
If your pet has a lump, this is the most basic method of examination. It is impossible to determine what kind of lump is directly from the photo. The scientific method is to take a sample with a syringe and see what cells are under the microscope.
These are the most common pet tests. If there are any abnormalities, please take your pets to the veterinarian in time. It is also best to maintain the habit of regular medical checkups. Pets under one year of age may have multiple visits to the vet in the first year because of the need for vaccinations, etc.
For adult pets, if there is no disease, an annual checkup is sufficient. When pets enter old age, a frequency of twice a year is recommended to ensure that diseases can be detected and treated as early as possible.
