Diagnostics & Laboratory
In-house digital imaging, bloodwork, and laboratory services for fast, accurate answers in Overland Park and the greater Kansas City area.
Why Do Fast Diagnostic Results Matter?
When your pet is sick or injured, waiting days for test results isn't good enough. Our in-house diagnostic equipment at College Boulevard Animal Hospital lets us run bloodwork, take X-rays, perform ultrasounds, and analyze samples right here in Overland Park—often while you wait. Faster results mean faster diagnoses, faster treatment decisions, and better outcomes for your pet. We don't have to send you across town for imaging or wait on an outside lab when time matters.
We also use diagnostics for routine screening. Annual bloodwork and imaging help us establish baselines and track changes over time, catching potential problems long before symptoms appear. This is especially valuable for senior pets, where early detection of kidney disease, thyroid issues, or diabetes can mean the difference between simple management and a medical emergency.
Our Diagnostic Capabilities
Digital Radiography (X-Rays)
Our digital X-ray system produces high-resolution images in seconds, with no film processing delays. We use radiographs to evaluate bones, joints, the chest, the abdomen, and more. Digital images can be enhanced, zoomed, and shared electronically if a specialist consultation is needed. It's one of our most frequently used diagnostic tools.
Dental Radiography
Dental x-rays are taken at the time of anesthetized dental cleaning procedures and allow us to see what's happening below the gumline—tooth root damage, jawbone density, abscess development, root resorption, and fractures that are otherwise invisible when looking in the mouth. They allow us to plan surgical extractions, evaluate painful teeth, and identify hidden disease.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound gives us a real-time look at soft tissue organs like the liver, kidneys, spleen, bladder, and intestines without any radiation exposure. It's especially useful for evaluating abdominal conditions, monitoring pregnancies, guiding biopsies, and investigating symptoms like vomiting, weight loss, or changes in appetite.
In-House Bloodwork
Our in-house analyzers can run complete blood counts (CBC), chemistry panels, heartworm tests, urinalyses, and other tests with results available in just minutes. This is essential for being able to rapidly evaluate a pet's condition when they're not feeling well or for pre-anesthetic screening.
Urinalysis & Fecal Exams
Urinalysis helps us evaluate kidney function, detect urinary tract infections, check for crystals or stones, and screen for diabetes. Fecal exams identify intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and Giardia that can affect your pet's health and, in some cases, be transmitted to people.
Cytology & Histopathology
Dr. Pippin and Dr. Baird have extensive training in cytological evaluation and are often able to get an answer on what a new lump or bump is at the time of your appointment through the use of fine needle aspirates or impression cytology. When cancerous cells are found, a surgical biopsy is performed and submitted to a pathologist for specialist review.
Why Are In-House Diagnostics Better for Your Pet?
Having diagnostic equipment on-site means we don't have to send your pet somewhere else for imaging or wait for an outside lab to process routine bloodwork. For sick or injured pets, this can make a significant difference—the sooner we know what's going on, the sooner we can start the right treatment.
It also means fewer trips and less stress for your pet. Everything from the exam to the X-ray to the blood draw happens in one place, with a team that already knows your pet's history.
For example, a dog that comes in vomiting and lethargic can have X-rays and bloodwork completed within the first hour of their visit. If those results point to a foreign body obstruction, we can move to surgery the same day instead of sending the pet home to wait for results and hoping things don't get worse overnight. That kind of turnaround changes outcomes, and it's only possible because we have the equipment and the training to do it all under one roof.
How Does Routine Bloodwork Protect Your Pet?
We also run pre-anesthetic bloodwork before every surgical and dental procedure. This screens for liver and kidney function, blood cell counts, and clotting ability—things that look fine on the outside but can create serious complications under anesthesia if they go undetected. It takes minutes, gives us the confidence to proceed safely, and protects your pet from avoidable risk.
For senior pets, we recommend annual wellness bloodwork even when they seem perfectly healthy. Conditions like early kidney disease, thyroid dysfunction, and diabetes often show up in lab values long before symptoms appear. Tracking those numbers year over year lets us spot trends and intervene early, when treatment is simpler, less expensive, and more effective. It's one of the most valuable things we do, and it takes just a few minutes during a routine visit.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Kris Pippin, DVM and Dr. Jill Baird, DVM—April 2026