Our in-house lab is ready to diagnose your furry friend's medical conditions. From there, our Saanichton veterinarians can customize your cat or dog's treatment plan.

Book An Appointment

Diagnostic Technology

At Breadner Veterinary Services, the technology and tools in our in-house lab help us to pinpoint the precise cause of your dog or cat's symptoms so that we are able to provide a diagnosis of their condition as quickly as possible.

Diagnostic testing gives us a detailed view of your pet's internal health, revealing issues they can't communicate, such as pain from a broken bone, discomfort from parasites or serious health conditions with their hearts.

Diagnostic & Lab Technology, Saanichton Vet

Our Diagnostic Services 

  • Radiography (Digital X-rays)

    Radiography is safe, painless and non-invasive. The level of radiation exposure required to perform radiography is very low, so even pregnant females and very young dogs and cats can undergo this procedure.

    Radiographs can be used to evaluate bones and organs, and diagnose conditions including broken bones, chronic arthritis, bladder stones, spinal cord diseases and some tumours.

  • Ultrasound

    With ultrasound imaging, we expose part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the inside of the body. Because we capture ultrasound images in real-time, we can see the structure and movement of your cat or dog's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through the blood vessels.

  • ECG

    If your veterinarian performs a physical examination and suspects your furry companion may have a heart disorder, we'll usually take chest X-rays and perform an electrocardiogram (ECG).

    This procedure can be completed easily and quickly. It reveals data that may be integral to your pet's diagnosis. In other cases, a cardiac ultrasound may be required to identify disorders in the chambers of the heart.

  • Holter Monitor

    The Holter monitor is a diagnostic unit that measures your pet’s ECG over a 24 hour period for abnormal heart activity. This is of particular concern for dogs with risk for cardiomyopathy or for any other cardiac arrhythmias.

    Breadner Veterinary Services has a Holter monitor available for this purpose. We can advise our clients following a consultation and examination. We also accept referrals from other veterinary hospitals or requests from individuals.

    Your dog or cat is then seen by one of our team members for the application. Their fur will be shaved in small areas over the chest. Following this, the tabs and Holter monitor are secured to the body with a final neoprene body wrap to hold everything in place. We provide an activity log to record what your dog or cat does over the course of a 24 hour period. After 24 hours, we remove the Holter monitor. The data is then sent to a cardiologist for interpretation.

    If you have been referred by your veterinarian, the data will be transferred to a cardiologist for interpretation and the medical report will be directed back to the referring veterinarian.

    Download Holter Referral Form

  • Bloodwork

    At our veterinary lab in Saanichton, we are able to run a number of common and targeted blood tests to help us determine the health of your pet and to diagnose illness.

  • Urinalysis

    Urinalysis is a key diagnostic test that provides your veterinarian with essential insights into the physical and chemical properties of your pet's urine.

    Urinalysis is primarily used to assess the health of kidneys and the urinary tract system, but it can also be helpful in detecting issues in other organ systems and is important for diagnosing metabolic diseases, such as diabetes.

  • Fecal Exams

    A fecal exam is the microscopic examination of your dog or cat's feces, which can be done at our in-house veterinary lab in Saanichton.

    The ultimate goal of a fecal exam is to identify and treat any gastrointestinal (GI) infections that could be compromising your four-legged friend's health and even the health of your family. Fecals allow your veterinarian to determine if your pet has intestinal parasites, such as roundworms or hookworms.

In-House Veterinary Pharmacy 

Once we've diagnosed your cat or dog's condition using our veterinary technology, we can prescribe and supply the medications to help resolve or manage their issue.

When it's time to renew your prescription, please call us. We can have your pet's medicine ready and waiting when you come in. 

In-House Pet Health Supplies

At Breadner Veterinary Services, we are committed to providing pet parents with the best diet and health care products to treat medical issues and maintain their dog or cat's good health.

Our hospital is well-stocked with prescription diets, parasite prevention products, medications and more, allowing our team to provide your furry family member with the products they need both at-home and while they're with us.