Diagnostics

Workup guides for lab testing, imaging decisions, staging, screening, and result interpretation across common small-animal problems.

Audience

Pet owners trying to understand the next test, and veterinary teams framing a diagnostic pathway.

Editorial Job

Show what each test can and cannot answer, and when referral or urgent care changes the plan.

177 articles in this category · showing 121–130.

Last updated 2026-09-11

Topic Map

Drug Safety & Toxicology119 Clinical Pathology60 Dermatology51 Vaccination & Infectious Disease40 Gastroenterology38 Endocrinology31 Oncology28 Canine Osteoarthritis27 Diagnostic Imaging27 Antibiotics & Anti-Infectives22 Cardiology20 Urology18 Feline CKD13 POCUS4

Companion animal beside veterinary diagnostic materials.

DiagnosticsJune 17, 2026 · 12 min read

Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (Bloat) in Dogs: Signs, Emergency, Surgery, and Gastropexy

GDV (bloat) in dogs — why a twisted stomach is a minutes-to-hours emergency, the unproductive-retching sign, right-lateral radiograph diagnosis, surgery, and…

Ran Chen#Gastroenterology #Emergency & Critical Care

DiagnosticsJune 16, 2026 · 9 min read

Pyometra in Dogs: Signs, Diagnosis, and Why It Is a Surgical Emergency

Pyometra is a life-threatening uterine infection in unspayed female dogs that usually strikes a few weeks after a heat cycle. How it is diagnosed, why surgery…

Ran Chen#Emergency & Critical Care

DiagnosticsJune 12, 2026 · 8 min read

What the Dog Aging Project Comorbidity Network Reveals About How Canine Diseases Cluster

The first large-scale analysis of canine disease co-occurrence from the Dog Aging Project, covering 26,614 dogs and 160 conditions, including temporal disease…

Ran Chen#Clinical Pathology #Endocrinology #Dermatology

DiagnosticsJune 10, 2026 · 9 min read

Hip Dysplasia in Dogs: Diagnosis, Surgery, and Non-Surgical Management

Hip dysplasia is a common orthopedic condition in dogs. Covers diagnosis, surgical options (FHO, THR, JPS, DPO), non-surgical management, recovery…

Ran Chen#Canine Osteoarthritis

DiagnosticsJune 9, 2026 · 10 min read

Cat Heart Murmur: When It Means HCM, When It Doesn't, and What to Do Next

What a heart murmur in a cat actually means — HCM vs physiologic murmurs, NT-proBNP screening, echocardiogram timing, thyroid and blood pressure rule-outs,…

Ran Chen#Cardiology #Diagnostic Imaging

DiagnosticsJune 3, 2026 · 9 min read

Cat Tooth Resorption: Why Dental X-Rays Are Essential and What Treatment Looks Like

Feline tooth resorption affects up to two-thirds of cats over five. Covers Type 1 vs Type 2, why dental X-rays are essential, extraction vs crown amputation,…

Ran Chen#Dentistry

DiagnosticsJune 3, 2026 · 10 min read

Pancreatitis in Cats: Subtle Signs, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Feline pancreatitis is more common than believed and differs from dogs. Covers subtle signs, Spec fPL testing, triaditis, ultrasound, inpatient vs outpatient…

Ran Chen#Gastroenterology

DiagnosticsJune 2, 2026 · 11 min read

CCL Tear in Dogs: TPLO vs Lateral Suture Surgery and Recovery Decisions

How cranial cruciate ligament tears are diagnosed in dogs, when TPLO or lateral suture surgery is recommended, what conservative management looks like, and…

Ran Chen#Canine Osteoarthritis

DiagnosticsJune 2, 2026 · 11 min read

Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs: Lyme, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis Testing and Diagnosis

What a positive tick-borne disease test means for your dog — Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis explained with CAPC 2026 risk data, testing logic,…

Ran Chen#Vaccination & Infectious Disease #Parasiticides

DiagnosticsMay 30, 2026 · 9 min read

Fish Buoyancy Disorder: Why Swim Bladder Disease Is a Symptom, Not a Diagnosis

When a fish floats, sinks, or swims upside-down, owners call it swim bladder disease. Here is what a veterinarian is actually trying to rule out — and why peas…

Ran Chen#Emergency & Critical Care #Gastroenterology