Unless there is an emergency situation, it is very unlikely that tests such as an MRI, CT scan or a myelogram can be done on the same day as your initial appointment. In order to perform these tests we will almost certainly require that either your pet stay in the hospital for one or more nights, or that you bring them back the next day or at some future date. The reason is that until we examine your pet, it is almost impossible to know what tests it will be necessary to run. Most animals require some type of ancillary testing such as blood and urine tests, chest radiographs and an abdominal ultrasound before anesthesia (see Diagnostic Testing ). Although some of these tests can be done by your referring veterinarian, other tests may need to be done at Canada West Veterinary Specialists, such as the abdominal ultrasound and certain blood tests that may be hard to anticipate in advance.

Please do not feed your pet after midnight on the day before your appointment. This is so that if we need to, we can perform blood tests that require prior fasting (such as a bile acids test or a lipid panel). In addition, on rare occasions we may want to anesthetize your pet on the day of the appointment and this will allow us to do so safely should this prove to be necessary.

The neurology service receives routine cases on Monday and Wednesday mornings and performs major procedures (myelograms, CT scans, surgeries) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Emergencies are prioritized and accommodated on a case-by-case basis. Emergencies may delay scheduled appointments and we apologize in advance if this happens.

Unfortunately, it is usually impossible to guess with any degree of accuracy what the problem is from a telephone description provided by the client. For nearly all animals, a full patient history, thorough physical and neurological examinations, and a series of diagnostic tests are needed before we can provide a diagnosis for your pet's problem.

Some tests, such as blood tests, chest X-rays and abdominal ultrasound are usually performed on the day of consultation (if your pet is very sick, some tests like routine blood tests may need to be repeated in order to determine if the situation has changed). Procedures like a myelogram, CT scan or MRI often depend on the results of these initial tests. In most cases these major diagnostic tests are run one or two days after you bring your dog to Canada West Veterinary Specialists. This is done so that we can both refine exactly which tests will be required and also to allow us to be sure that it will be safe to anesthetize your animal. An MRI usually takes one to five days to arrange although in some emergency cases it can be done the same day.

There are two main reasons for these tests: - as a further check for any underlying diseases before anesthesia and to be sure that your pet does not have an unrelated but serious disease that might affect your decision making process.

A consultation costs $230. A written estimate will be provided for animals requiring additional diagnostic testing.

This can sometimes be a result of recent treatment with either corticosteroids or aspirin-like drugs. On the other hand some diseases, such as meningitis, are caused by viruses that are either very rare or cannot be tested for. Other disease processes, such as Epilepsy or Degenerative Myelopathy, may only be evident at a microscopic level and are diagnosed by ruling out other conditions. Although it can be very frustrating when tests come back as normal, especially when an animal is seriously ill, it is inevitable in some cases. We will try to discuss the pros and cons of each test in advance and please feel free to ask for the reasons behind each proposed test. The goal of testing is, as always, to make the most complete diagnosis for your pet in order to provide you with the best advice regarding treatment and prognosis.

Further Information is available in the Neurology Links and Resources section