Pet Laboratory Testing

When your pet isn’t feeling well—or when we want to make sure they are—our on-site diagnostics laboratory at Foland Veterinary Services gives our veterinarians fast, accurate answers that guide better, more timely care for dogs and cats in Weatherford, TX, and the surrounding communities.

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Diagnostics That Tell the Whole Story

A physical exam tells us a great deal about your pet’s health, but it doesn’t tell us everything. Many of the most common—and most serious—conditions affecting dogs and cats don’t produce visible symptoms in their early stages. Veterinary diagnostic testing allows our team to look beneath the surface, evaluate organ function, detect disease, and make informed treatment decisions for everything from preventative parasite control to pre-surgical evaluations.

At Foland Veterinary Services, we believe that accurate diagnostics are the foundation of excellent veterinary care. Whether we’re running routine wellness bloodwork, investigating a specific concern, or monitoring a pet through treatment, our in-house laboratory capabilities allow us to act quickly and confidently on your pet’s behalf.

Our Pet Laboratory Testing Services

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

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A CBC provides important information about your pet's red and white blood cells, and platelets. Abnormalities can help us detect infections, systemic disease, anemia, and blood clotting problems. A CBC is one of the most valuable diagnostic tools available—offering a detailed snapshot of your pet's blood health that can point us toward a wide range of conditions requiring further evaluation or treatment.

Baseline Screening Tests & Blood Chemistry Panels

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A complete blood profile evaluates your pet's organ function and provides baseline values to which future results can be compared. These panels assess the health of key organs including the liver, kidneys, and pancreas, as well as blood sugar levels and electrolyte balance. Establishing baseline values early in your pet's life—and updating them regularly—gives our team a critical reference point for detecting subtle changes over time that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Urinalysis

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Urine testing provides valuable information about your pet's kidney function, hydration status, and urinary tract health. It can help identify urinary tract infections, kidney disease, diabetes, and other conditions that may not always show up clearly in bloodwork alone. Urinalysis is often performed alongside blood panels for a more complete diagnostic picture.

Heartworm Testing

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Annual heartworm testing is an essential part of every dog's preventive care plan. Our in-house heartworm tests deliver quick, reliable results so we can confirm your pet's status and discuss prevention options during the same visit. Learn more about our approach to heartworm prevention and parasite control.

Tick-Borne Disease Testing

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We screen dogs annually for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis—dangerous diseases transmitted by ticks that are a real concern for pets throughout the Weatherford area. Early detection of tick-borne disease allows for prompt treatment and a much better outcome for your pet.

Fecal Parasite Testing

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A fecal exam checks your pet's stool sample for the presence of intestinal parasites, including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, coccidia, and Giardia. Many of these parasites are microscopic and can be present without any obvious symptoms, making routine fecal screening an important safeguard for your pet and your household. Learn more about our parasite control services.

Pre-Anesthetic Bloodwork

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Before any surgical procedure or anesthetic event, we may recommend bloodwork to evaluate your pet's organ function and overall health. Pre-anesthetic testing helps us identify any underlying conditions that could increase anesthetic risk, allowing us to adjust our protocols accordingly and proceed with the greatest possible safety. This is especially important for senior pets or those with known health concerns.

Thyroid Testing

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Thyroid disease is common in older dogs and cats—hypothyroidism in dogs and hyperthyroidism in cats—and can significantly affect your pet's energy, weight, coat, and overall quality of life. Thyroid testing is a simple blood test that allows us to diagnose and manage these conditions effectively.

Why In-House Diagnostics Matter

Having a fully equipped on-site laboratory isn’t just a convenience—it’s a meaningful advantage for your pet’s care. When diagnostic results are available quickly, our veterinarians can make treatment decisions faster, begin interventions sooner, and reduce the time your pet spends feeling unwell while waiting for answers.

For sick or emergency patients in particular, rapid diagnostic turnaround can make a significant difference in outcomes. And for wellness patients, in-house testing makes it easy to complete a comprehensive health evaluation in a single visit—without the added time and stress of sending samples to an outside laboratory and waiting days for results.

Diagnostics as Part of Preventive Care

Pet blood testing and other diagnostic services aren’t just for sick pets—they’re a powerful tool for keeping healthy pets healthy. Routine diagnostic panels are an important part of your pet’s annual wellness exam, giving our veterinarians a complete picture of your pet’s health that a physical exam alone cannot provide.

We recommend baseline bloodwork for all adult pets, and more frequent testing for senior dogs and cats, pets managing chronic conditions, and any pet undergoing anesthesia or a new medication. Catching a shift in lab values early—before it becomes a clinical problem—is one of the most effective things we can do to protect your pet’s long-term health.

Pet Laboratory Testing FAQs

Does my healthy pet really need bloodwork?

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Yes—and here's why. Many serious conditions, including kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, and thyroid disorders, develop silently. By the time a pet shows obvious symptoms, the disease may already be well advanced. Routine blood testing allows us to detect these changes early, when they're most manageable and treatment is most effective.

How often should my pet have diagnostic testing?

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For healthy adult pets, we typically recommend annual bloodwork as part of their wellness visit. Senior pets—generally those 7 years and older—benefit from more frequent testing, often every 6 months, as age-related changes can occur quickly. Pets with chronic conditions may need more regular monitoring based on their individual health needs.

Does my pet need to fast before a blood test?

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For many blood panels, fasting for 8–12 hours before the test produces the most accurate results—particularly for glucose and lipid levels. We'll let you know ahead of time whether fasting is recommended for your pet's specific tests.

How long does it take to get results?

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Because we have an in-house laboratory, many routine test results are available during or shortly after your pet's appointment. This allows us to discuss findings with you the same day and move quickly on any next steps if needed.

What happens if something abnormal shows up in my pet's bloodwork?

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Abnormal values don't always indicate a serious problem—some findings require additional context, repeat testing, or further diagnostics to interpret fully. Your veterinarian will walk you through any abnormal results in plain language, explain what they may mean, and discuss the most appropriate next steps. We'll never leave you with unanswered questions.

My pet had bloodwork done recently at another clinic. Do you need to run it again?

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Not necessarily. If you have recent records from another veterinary clinic, we're happy to review them. In some cases, prior results provide the baseline information we need; in others, we may recommend updated testing depending on how much time has passed or what we find during your pet's exam. Bring any records you have to your appointment, and we'll go from there.

Answers That Lead to Better Care

Diagnostic testing is one of the most powerful tools in veterinary medicine—and at Foland Veterinary Services, it’s an integral part of how we care for every patient. From routine pet blood testing during annual wellness visits to urgent diagnostics for a pet who isn’t feeling well, our in-house laboratory helps our team deliver the timely, accurate, and individualized care that dogs and cats across the Weatherford area deserve.

Wellness Exams

Vaccinations

Spaying & Neutering

Parasite Control

Dental Care

Laboratory Testing

X-Rays & Ultrasound

Emergency Care

Soft Tissue Surgery

Orthopedic Surgery

Pet Boarding

Pet Euthanasia