Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Orange Park

Our Diagnostic Services 

We are pleased to announce that our in-house veterinary diagnostics lab offers advanced diagnostic testing, allowing our pet dermatologist and veterinary staff to provide you with an accurate diagnosis of your pet's dermatological conditions.

• Intradermal Allergy Testing

  This testing is done by injecting the allergens most often found in the local area into your cat or dog's skin to see if they develop a reaction. Our vets first sedate your pet to make sure they are comfortable, and then shave an area on their side to make the injections. After exposing your companion to the allergen they are monitored at 20 minutes and then again after 2 hours to see if they develop a reaction.

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• Video Otoscope

  A video otoscope is a hand-held instrument that uses fiber-optics to transmit a very bright light illuminating the ear canal giving your vet a better visualization of the ear canal and the tympanic membrane (eardrum).

  Instruments can be passed through this scope to facilitate cleaning, perform a myringotomy (an incision into the eardrum) in order to access the middle ear, and do biopsies and mass removals.

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• Serum Allergy Testing

  Serum allergy testing is performed by taking a small sample of your pet's blood which is sent to a lab for examination. This test looks for allergen-specific antibodies (IgE) related to a number of common allergens that can contribute to skin problems in pets.

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• Skin Cytology

  Skin Cytology is a very high-yield and inexpensive procedure all animal patients suffering from skin disease should have performed. It gives your vet more detailed information about what is happening with the skin in a faster time frame than many other diagnostic tests.

• Otic Cytology

  This is a routine procedure that is fast and simple. It looks for and rules out any microbial otic infections in animals.

• Skin Scrape

  Skin scrapes are common tests that are performed to identify any external parasites on your pet's skin such as lice and mites. The hairs, debris and cells that are collected are placed on a slide containing mineral oil to be examined under a microscope.

• Bacterial and Fungal Cultures

  To perform a bacterial or fungal culture test, the dermatologist takes a sterile swab of your pet’s skin lesion, or plucks several hairs, and submits them to a microbiology lab to assess what infection may be causing your pet’s skin problem. Occasionally, for deeper infections, a tissue sample with a biopsy punch instrument may be necessary.

  Performing a bacterial or fungal culture test poses no risk to your pet, and the information your dermatologist gains is extremely valuable. These tests can help us pinpoint which antibiotics or antifungals to use in treating your pet’s infections. This has become more important as we are seeing resistant bacterial infections more commonly, with resistance often seen to many of the traditional antibiotics.