Veterinary Diagnostics
Our diagnostic services help us quickly identify the cause of your pet’s symptoms and guide the right treatment plan. We provide an array of diagnostic tests for cats and dogs. Our services include in-house labwork, digital X-rays, and limited pregnancy ultrasounds, with access to trusted external laboratories for more advanced testing.
Fast, Accurate Answers for Better Care
Timely diagnosis can make all the difference when your pet is sick or injured. Our clinic is equipped with modern diagnostic tools that allow us to evaluate your pet’s health quickly—often the same day—while keeping their comfort a priority. For specialized tests, we partner with leading veterinary labs such as IDEXX, Cornell University, and Michigan State University, with most results available within 24–48 hours.
Emergency Triage and Urgent Care
While we can perform some urgent procedures, our clinic is not staffed as a full-time emergency hospital, and we are not equipped to handle every possible emergency and urgent care situation. Emergencies are accepted for established patients when possible during normal business hours. If your pet requires care beyond what we can provide, we will stabilize them and coordinate immediate referral to a trusted specialty hospital. In some cases, we may not have a doctor available to promptly treat your pet.
Your pet’s well-being is our number one priority, and prompt intervention can be critical in emergency situations. If you feel your pet has an emergency, please call us. A receptionist can advise one of our doctors, if available, of your current situation, in order to give you the best plan of action for you and your pet.
We care about our patients and want the best possible outcome for them. This sometimes leads us to refer patients to local emergency hospitals, where they are staffed and equipped to handle emergencies immediately.
Please see the following list of emergency hospitals that are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:
Our Diagnostic Services
Depending on your pet’s needs, we may recommend one or more of the following:
- In-House Laboratory Testing – Complete blood counts (CBC), chemistry panels, urinalysis, and microbiology are run daily for rapid results.
- Digital Radiology (X-Rays) – High-quality imaging for bones, joints, and internal organs with minimal stress to your pet.
- Pregnancy & Limited Diagnostic Ultrasounds – Primarily used for reproductive confirmation, with occasional limited diagnostic applications.
- External Lab Submissions – Advanced or specialized testing sent to IDEXX, Cornell, or other trusted facilities.
Designed for Pet Comfort and Safety
From reducing handling stress to using gentle positioning techniques, we focus on making diagnostic procedures as easy as possible for your pet. When sedation is necessary for imaging, we follow strict safety protocols and discuss the process with you beforehand.
When to Seek Diagnostic Testing
You may need to schedule diagnostics if your pet is showing signs such as:
- Sudden changes in appetite or energy
- Persistent vomiting or diarrhea
- Difficulty breathing or coughing
- Lameness or swelling
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
Our team will help determine the right tests to get clear answers and develop an effective treatment plan.
Diagnostics You Can Trust
At Southern Maine Veterinary Care, diagnostics are more than just tests—they’re an essential step toward understanding your pet’s health and providing the best possible care.