When something seems off with your pet, the waiting is often the hardest part. You notice a change in their appetite, energy, or behavior, and you need answers quickly so you and your care team can act. At-home observation can only tell you so much, and every hour of uncertainty adds stress to an already difficult situation. For pet families in Holly Springs and the surrounding communities, access to fast, accurate diagnostic testing at the same location where your pet receives care can make all the difference.
At Grace Animal Hospital, our team is built around the belief that every pet deserves attentive, high-quality care from a practice that treats them like family. Our in-house diagnostic laboratory is a direct extension of that commitment, allowing our veterinarians to run a comprehensive range of tests right here in our facility, so we can move from observation to answers within a single visit. Our caring team, which includes Dr. Tiana Montell, a Ross University graduate with a background as Medical Director at multiple practices, and Dr. Wells, a Louisiana State University graduate with post-graduate training in medicine and surgery at BluePearl Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Cary, NC, brings the clinical depth needed to interpret those results and develop a care plan that is right for your individual pet.
When your pet is sick, time is rarely a luxury. Sending samples to an outside reference laboratory can mean waiting 24 to 48 hours or longer for results, during which a treatable condition may progress. Our on-site laboratory allows our veterinarians to analyze blood, urine, and tissue samples during your appointment, which means we can begin treatment planning the same day in most cases. This is especially critical for urgent presentations such as sudden lethargy, vomiting, jaundice, difficulty breathing, or suspected toxic exposure, where rapid information directly shapes how we respond.
Beyond urgent situations, in-house testing also plays an important role in routine preventive care. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) recommends age-appropriate diagnostic testing as part of regular preventive healthcare for dogs and cats, noting that early detection of disease trends can allow for intervention before symptoms appear. Establishing a baseline picture of your pet’s internal health through routine bloodwork and screening panels helps our team identify subtle changes over time, giving us the opportunity to catch conditions like early kidney disease, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and other chronic conditions long before they become emergencies.
Our diagnostic laboratory is equipped to handle a wide range of testing for dogs, cats, small mammals, reptiles, and select exotic pets. The testing we offer spans wellness screening, illness diagnosis, pre-surgical evaluation, and ongoing monitoring for pets managing chronic conditions. Our services include:
When a case calls for testing that goes beyond what we perform in-house, we work with trusted outside reference laboratories to ensure your pet still receives the most complete diagnostic picture possible.
Diagnostics at Grace Animal Hospital are not standalone services. Each test result feeds directly into a broader care conversation between our team and your family. Our veterinarians take a conservative, preventive-care-first approach, which means we use lab data to make informed, targeted decisions rather than defaulting to treatments that are not yet clearly warranted. When bloodwork reveals elevated liver enzymes ahead of a scheduled surgery, for example, we use that information to adapt our anesthetic protocol and pre-surgical planning rather than proceed blindly.
Our team brings this same transparency to your pet wellness exam conversation. We walk you through what each result means, what normal ranges look like for your pet’s age and species, and what follow-up, if any, is appropriate. Because we see pets at every stage of life, we also use baseline lab values from wellness visits as reference points when the same patient presents with illness later on. That continuity of data is one of the real advantages of building a long-term relationship with a practice that keeps thorough records and knows your pet individually.
If your veterinarian recommends diagnostic testing during your visit, the process is designed to be as low-stress as possible for both your pet and your family. Our team practices gentle, fear-free handling techniques to minimize anxiety during sample collection.
If you are visiting for digital radiology or vet ultrasounds in addition to lab work, those imaging results can often be reviewed and correlated with your bloodwork on the same day, giving our veterinarians a more complete picture of your pet’s health without requiring multiple return visits.
Diagnostic needs change as your pet ages. Young puppies and kittens benefit from baseline bloodwork panels that establish normal values early. Adult pets benefit from annual wellness panels that can catch the earliest signs of organ stress, metabolic changes, or infection. Senior pets, particularly those over seven years of age, may benefit from more frequent monitoring, especially if they are managing chronic conditions or taking long-term medications. Our team tailors diagnostic recommendations to your pet’s individual age, breed, health history, and lifestyle.
For pets undergoing soft tissue surgery or other procedures at our facility, pre-anesthetic bloodwork is a standard component of surgical preparation. These panels allow our team to confirm that your pet’s organ function is appropriate to safely metabolize anesthesia and recover well from the procedure. This is one of the ways we minimize surgical risk and keep your pet as safe as possible throughout their care.
Grace Animal Hospital is a privately owned, family-oriented practice in Holly Springs that is open seven days a week, including Sunday emergency hours, with walk-in availability and same-day urgent care for situations that cannot wait. Our team holds the highest Google rating in the market and is proud to serve Spanish-speaking families, military families (we offer military discounts), and the broader Holly Springs and Wake County community.
Ready to schedule your pet’s diagnostic lab work or have questions about which tests are right for your pet? Contact us today or call us at 919-346-0285. Our team looks forward to giving your pet the attentive, personalized care they deserve.
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