We offer a wide range of investigative techniques at OVH in order that we can provide you with a diagnosis and the best targeted treatment plans for your pet.
Digital Radiography
Ultrasonography
Endoscopy
Laboratory
Imaging
Digital Radiography
We use digital radiography toa ssess a wide range of diseases. It is best for looking at bone problems, but is used extensively to check for problems within the chest and abdomen as well.
We can also perform contrast radiographic studies for looking at gastrointestinal or urogenital disease.
The benefit of digital radiography is the speed in which the radiograph is visible to the vet; this has a huge benefit as it reduces the time your pet is under anaesthetic.
Most patients will have to be either sedated or under a full general anaesthetic in order to get the best radiographs of the area of interest. Only in very sick dogs or emergency situations do we not use some form of sedation.
Ultrasonography
Ultrasound has a wide range of uses when looking at the soft tissues in the body; we can diagnose pregnancy, investigate problems within the abdomen as well as obtain biopsies with ultrasonography.
Ultrasound is very safe in all animals and can normally be conducted in the conscious animal.
At Oakham we can offer echocardiography (the use of ultrasound to visualise and measure the heart); this is a great help in diagnosing and monitoring dogs with heart disease. Included in this service we also have a visiting specialist in cardiology who is available to see some of our patients on an outpatient basis.
MRI - magnetic resonance imaging
MRI is currently not available for Small Animals
Endoscopy
In domestic pets we can use endoscopy to have a look within the gut, starting either at the stomach (gastroscopy) to check for tumours, ulcers, to retrieve foreign bodies, or to visualise the large intestine. Endoscopy can also be used to take samples from within the gut without having to undergo a major operation.
Visualisation of the upper respiratory tract can also be undertaken with smaller scopes.
Laboratory
There is a well equipped in-house laboratory providing reliable and prompt results, run by Zoe Smith, our full-time technician.
A full range of haematology, clinical chemistry, microbiology, cytology and parasitology services are available. We have state of the art machines for running blood samples and we routinely analyse urine, faeces, hair, skin and aspirates allowing us to get you an answer much quicker than sending them off to an external laboratory.
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