Pet Histopathology
Pet Histopathology in Westwood & Pompton Lakes, New Jersey
Making sure our pets have everything they need to lead a happy, healthy life is something all pet owners want. While it’s easy for us to give them treats, love, and attention, we need to turn to veterinary professionals if we believe something might be wrong. The team at Westwood Regional Veterinary Hospital and Pompton Lakes Animal Hospital offers a variety of diagnostic care services to help find out what’s wrong, including pet histopathology. Located in Westwood and Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, we serve pet owners throughout the Tri-State area.
What Is Histopathology?
Histopathology is a diagnostic process that involves searching for signs of disease within tissue. The process is performed using a microscope to get a detailed look at the cells. This practice requires a biopsy, which is a surgical removal of a sample from the targeted organ. This important procedure can look at cells and tissues in depth to identify any abnormalities. Histopathology requires staining, which is a process that adds dyes to the slides used, making it easier to distinguish cells when looking under the microscope.
How Does Histopathology Work?
During the procedure, veterinarians perform a biopsy. A biopsy involves removing a small piece of tissue from the animal. The location of the tissue determines how a veterinarian will access and remove it. Some areas require only a local anesthetic to numb the area, plus sedation to help keep your pet calm and comfortable as skin tissue is removed. Other areas may require general anesthesia, putting your pet under while the biopsy is performed. These procedures are more involved and invasive but are typically only used for larger masses or internal areas.
The removed tissue will then be sent to a veterinary pathologist. They will evaluate the sample in a laboratory, which may take some time. Once the results are in, you will meet with your veterinarian to discuss how to proceed.
Your pet will need to recover from the biopsy in the meantime. They may have stitches and be prescribed medication to help relieve pain. If the area is within licking or scratching distance, your veterinarian may recommend that they wear a cone until the area is healed to help prevent any infection.
How Does Veterinary Histopathology Help?
Because histopathology can be invasive, if there are other ways to detect certain diseases, your veterinarian will likely try them first. However, there are several reasons a histopathology test might be chosen, including:
Tumors
One of the main benefits of histopathology is the ability to identify cancer in tumors. Throughout your pet’s life, it may develop a mass of some kind, and it must be examined thoroughly so doctors can determine whether it is cancerous. Getting this test done early is the best way to help a pet fight the disease.
Skin Abnormalities
If you notice something unusual or troubling on your pet’s skin, a basic checkup might not lead to any answers. Fortunately, histopathology tests can help find out exactly what the problem is and guide the veterinarian in determining the best plan of action.
Nonspecific Symptoms
Unfortunately, there are a lot of diseases and ailments that can affect us and our pets. Even more frustrating is the fact that many of them share signs and symptoms, making it difficult for even experienced veterinarians to make the diagnosis on their own. In these cases, they will often rely on these specialized tests to confirm or deny a suspected diagnosis. This can help with inflammatory diseases like hepatitis and conditions they have had from birth.
How Can Our Veterinary Team Help?
When your pet is suffering, it’s overwhelming for pet owners. The feeling is even worse when you don’t have any answers. That’s why you should look to the team at Westwood Regional Veterinary Hospital and Pompton Lakes Animal Hospital in Westwood and Pompton Lakes NJ. Our compassionate and knowledgeable team can help you get answers thanks to a veterinary histopathology test.
Our staff is dedicated to treating your pet like one of our own. We have the latest tools and innovative technologies to help each visit go quickly and smoothly, and we offer specialized care options to treat each pet with the attention they deserve. We even have staff working 24 hours a day so you can call in for updates if your furry friend needs to stay overnight. Contact us today If you’re interested in a histopathology test or any of our veterinary services for pet owners in the Tri-State area.
Service Available At:
Westwood
- 346 Kinderkamack Rd.
Westwood, NJ 07675 - 201-885-5040
- Monday to Sunday: 9 AM to 10 PM
Pompton
- 9 Cannonball Rd. Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
- 973-835-4774
- Monday – Thursday: 10 AM – 8 PM
Friday: 12 PM – 9 PMSaturday: 10 AM – 2 PMSunday: Closed