There are many ways in which we may investigate and illness or injury in an animal. The first stage of any investigation of an illness is normally to run blood tests. The focus of an investigation can be varied depending on the nature of the illness and the vet will usually tailor the profile of the test to suit you pet’s particular problem.

There are many hundreds of things that can be tested for and the vet will use their skill to determine which tests are likely to give the most valuable information.

Injuries to bones often require an x-ray to show the location and severity of the problem. We can also x-ray other areas of the body such as the heart, lungs and intestines. Some investigations require both procedures to give the best information about a particular problem.