| Diagnostics |
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 Your pet will need a series of tests to determine if it is cancer, the type of cancer, where it is,
how fast it is growing and whether the tumor is benign or malignant.
The results of these tests will tell the team: grade, stage and type of cancer.
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The grade: How fast the cancer is growing, how often it spreads (metastasis), and how aggressive it is, determines the grade.
- The Stage: How big the tumor is and where it is in the body, determines the stage.
- The type and name: There are hundreds of different types of cancers. Knowing the exact type of cancer
defines the road map for treating it.
With an understanding of stage, type and grade of the cancer, your team can recommend the best way to defeat the cancer.
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| Diagnostic Services |
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 VOHC offers you pet the best and most comprehensive cancer care and diagnostic services possible.
We utilize a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment and diagnosis procedures to most effectively diagnose and treat your pet.
These include:
- Cytology - evaluating cells on a microscope slide to determine if they are malignant or benign
- CBC/Diff - a complete blood count evaluating the number and type of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets present
- Chemistry - the analysis of the blood that evaluates, among other things, liver and kidney function
- Digital Radiograph - an x-ray machine that produces the image digitally so that it can be manipulated
to enhance the evaluation of abnormalities
- Ultrasound - the evaluation of the abdomen, internal organs, and heart non-invasively with sound waves
- CT scan - the evaluation of the body with high resolution x-rays that allows us to form a three
dimensional picture of the body
- MRI scan - the use of magnetic fields to evaluate the body, including the brain
- Immunophenotyping - using special stains to determine the cell type; used most frequently
to determine whether lymphocytes are T cells or B cells
- Immunocytochemistry - the use of special stains to determine
 the type of leukemia an animal
has or to identify cells that cannot be identified under normal light microscopy
- Bone Marrow - the removal and evaluation of bone marrow cells to determine if the cells are normal,
if cancer has spread to the bone marrow, or if there is a problem with blood cell production.
This process is usually painless to the pet.
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